Yo Ho A Pirates Life
by MelMelHikariAndYamiCat
Summary: Yami, Seto, Marik, Bakura and 'Katt' are some of the most wanted pirates of all time. When they sail to Domino they meet Yugi, Joey, Malik, Ryou and Mel who all live shelted lives. What could pirates possibly want with them? My fist fic so be nice.
1. Chapter 1

Ok, so this is my first story. I don't mind constructive criticism, but no poinless flaming. This will be BoyxBoy so if you don't like it-don't freakin' well read it. Mel will be please I've finally got up off my lazy ass and actually submitted something.

**Mel: Damn Right!**

**Cat: Aren't you supposed to be sick?**

**Mel: Er...::cough::**

Anyway...Get well soon Mel otherwise you won't be able to read your story!

**DISCLAIMER:** Oh yeah and I dont own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters except my own.

* * *

Four figures stood in a line, raised from the ground looking out at the many people who had gathered in the small town square. On one end there stood a man with long unruly white hair and a pale complexion, who was currently glaring at anyone bold enough to make eye contact. Next was a girl with black, wavy hair pulled into a messy bun. Her top was ripped and her look matched that of the man next to her, grey eyes burning into the poor souls that sat in front of her. Standing next to the girl was a slightly taller man with unruly spiky black hair, with crimson tips and blonde bangs that fell into place around his face. Although he wasn't scowling, his deep red eyes could strike fear into the very hearts of even the bravest men. And at the other end… 

"Yo Ho, Yo Ho a pirates life for me!"

Another tanned man with blonde hair and manic lilac eyes.

"Marik! You idiot! I swear, if I get given a last request I'll…"

"Pirates aren't given last requests." Came a sneering voice.

Everyone immediately tensed at the voice. A slightly tall, brown haired girl strolled in front of them, accompanied by an old navy general. Her blue eyes held malice and hatred.

"If I didn't have my hands tied right now…"

"Come now Yami-kins, don't be like that, I've come to offer you freedom, I have enough money to bail you out and come live a healthy happy life with me. Put all the recent doings in the past yes?"

Said 'Yami-kins' looked physically sick. His tanned skin paled considerably before returning to its normal attire. His already blood red eyes darkened once more making the girl and the navy caption back away slightly.

"I'd rather hang thanks."

The three people around him cheered.

"That's you told Anzu!"

Anzu glared icily at everyone in front of her before storming off the stage. The navy captain, Sugoroku Mutou, sighed sadly before staring at each person individually. His eyes settled on the only girl of the four. There was something about her that was familiar…but he couldn't place his finger on it.

"Look mate, I'm about ta die as ya can see. I don't really need a pervvy ol' man staring at me."

"What? Oh…oh ahem sorry…"

Sugoroku made his way over to the trapdoor lever. Another man, dressed in black, made his way up to the stage to place the noose around each persons neck, while reciting:

"We are gathered here today, to witness the hanging of four of the most notorious pirates of our time; Yami Moto…"

"Captain!"

The man stopped and turned around to look at the furious pirates faces. The girl spoke first:

"It's _**Captain**_ Yami."

"Aye and don't you forget it!"

The man with the tri-coloured hair looked on at the scene affectionately. Again the man started:

"Also Marik Ishta, Bakura Ryou and Katt…"

The mans voice trailed off. 'Katt' laughed loudly while the three people around her snickered.

"Still don't know me real name. Ah yes I die a proud lass."

The man scowled and turned to the audience as if nothing had happened. Out of the corner of his eye, Marik saw a shadow moving swiftly over the rooftops and towards the flagpole that proudly boasted a full mast British flag. He signalled his noticing of this by clearing his throat, only loud enough so Yami could hear him. Yami then knocked 'Katt' in the shoulder slightly. She then turned her head to Bakura, showing she had felt the knock. Bakura moved his eyes slightly to his right, the only reassurance 'Katt' got that he knew what was going on.

"On the 10th chime of the town clock, 12.00pm, these four people will hang, for treason against the king, kidnapping, looting, murder…"

The list carried on until the first chime of the clock. Marik started:

"Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A pirates life for me. We pillage we plunder we rifle and loot."

Next Yami:

"Drink up me 'earties, Yo Ho! We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot."

Followed by 'Katt':

"Drink up me 'earties Yo Ho! Yo Ho, Yo Ho A pirates life for me!"

The third chime had rung by the time it came to Bakura:

"We extort, we pilfer we filch and sack, Drink up me 'earties Yo Ho!"

Many of the people gathered we slightly shocked and the four people standing before them. Nobody tried to stop them singing, all except Anzu who gave up after a while. After the fifth chime they sung together:

"Maraud and embezzle and even hijack, Drink up me 'earties Yo Ho! Yo Ho, Yo Ho A pirates life for me!"

After the sixth chime a new voice joined piped up in the silence.

"We kindle and char inflame and ignite Drink up me 'earties Yo Ho! We burn up the city, we're really a fright. Drink up me 'earties Yo Ho!"

A tall man with ice blue eyes and a stern looking aurora swung down from the flag pole, cutting his comrades down off the hanging mast just as the clock struck its tenth chime. They fell through the trapdoor landing on their feet.

"Thought you might want these."

The man who had helped them now threw the four their swords and guns and smirked.

"Thanks Seto. Thought you were never gonna come."

Yami smirked back as Seto's face resumed its natural glare.

"What are you waiting for?!" Anzu shrieked, "Get them!"

In a space of about a second, the crowd had dispersed, screaming and trying to protect children. Soldiers ran at the pirates swords raised. The five carried on singing as steel clashed, skilfully dodging attacks and rendering their victims defenceless.

"We're rascals, scoundrels, villains and knaves, Drink up me 'earites Yo Ho!" Seto sung and he rolled out of the way of an oncoming attack and kicked out at his attackers knees.

"We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs! Drink up me 'earties Yo Ho!" Marik accompanied, whilst knocking the sword out of his opponents hand and slitting the soldiers throat.

"Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A pirates life for me!" Bakura chimed in as he ducked two oncoming officers swords, making them travel through each other instead of himself and tackled and unsuspecting soldier.

"We're beggars and blighters and ne're –do-well cads, Drink up me 'earties Yo Ho!" Yami's voice rung out from a circle of officers as he jumped skilfully over them, catching them all off guard.

"Aye! But we're loved by our mommies and dads! Drink up me 'earties Yo Ho!" 'Katt' half laughed half sung whilst sparring two officers. She stabbed through one's stomach and used it as a steady wall to help somersault over the other. Kicking the now dead officer onto the floor she shot the other and made her way down the road to the gang of waiting pirates.

"So we're making our way back towards the ship then?" Seto asked, seemingly unfazed by the mornings events.

"Aye, were is she Seto?" Yami asked.

"Were you left her Cap'n" Seto replied.

Smirking, Yami started making his way toward the bay.

"Come on then gang, hasty now! Tonight, we sail to Domino!"

"Aye, aye Captain!"

* * *

Well I hope you liked it. Reveiw or I'll never know and if you did like it, you won't get another chapter!

**Mel- ::Glares::**

**Cat- ::Wide eyed::**

So um yeah...hopefully I'll be uploading a new chapter soon. Oh and I know that Domino is meant to be in Japan and everything but use your imagination and pretend Britain and Japan are fairly close together xD


	2. Chapter 2

Ok so 2nd chap now up. Thank you to everyone who reveiwed!

**Mel: **COOKIES FOR ALL!

**Cat: **Er..yeah..

I'm glad you liked it. And now Mel's better, you all should brace yourselves for the more...hyperactive part of this account.

**Cat::watches Mel snuggle Yugi::**

**Mel::crushing Yugi in a hug:: **Awww Yugi your soooo cute! Here would you like a cookie? You know you do!

**Cat::stares at Yami who simply shrugs:: **He's got to be able to breath Mel! BREATH! OXYGEN!

Enjoy!

* * *

"WHERES MY BLOODY SHIP?!"

Yami's voice echoed throughout the bay. The few people who were there didn't bother looking up, being either fellow pirates who had gained an easy escape route through the events of the morning, or shady business dealers. Any decent person was now hiding inside away from any trouble.

"Millie! Oh my poor, poor baby were are you?"

Seto stood with his arms crossed, watching his cousins antics with an impassive face. Marik looked around in confusion, whilst 'Katt' and Bakura found their eyes twitching in slight annoyance.

"What have those scurvy rats done with her? MY RUM WAS ON THAT SHIP!"

"Captain, don't ya think we should be er…looking for her then?"

"Damn right we are 'Katt'! Right you lot, the search for the SS Millennium is now on!"

After a fair amount of grumbles and rolling of eyes, the five people set off in different directions, just wanting to get to Domino within the next couple of days, without anything else going wrong. If that were at all possible.

-

Yugi laughed. Hard. He couldn't help it. Tears streamed down his face, as he watched his best friend Mel get dragged back into military grounds.

"You can't do this to me!" she was yelling, "NOOO! I WAS SO CLOSE! YUGI HELP!"

The two guards who had been dragging Mel back threw her to the ground, were Yugi had fallen to clutch his sides. Mel's claw marks were clearly visible in the dirt, which only made Yugi laugh harder. Mel simply pouted at her latest, failed, attempt to get outside to see the 'real world' as she put it. It was unknown to Yugi and his friends as to why they were kept inside a military base, but quite frankly Mel was sick of it. Mel's latest escape attempt was to hide inside a storage box filled with weapons that was being deployed to another base. When the box was placed on a ship, she would jump out and hide, then before it left the dock she would jump over the edge and swim to shore. To bad all storage boxes are double checked before they leave any base.

"Oh that's right, just suck it all up why don't you? You know-I could of made it! But instead of helping me and maybe even getting out of this dump for yourself, you chose to sit and do nothing!"

"Oh c'mon Mel, how many times have we tried and failed? And how many more times have _you_ tried and failed?"

"Hmph…"

Other failed attempts included: dressing up as a solider who was ready to patrol the borders of the base, dressing up as a pirate ready to be hanged in the village square, sneaking through the dog pounds to climb over the only wall that wasn't covered in electrified barbed wire (this resulted in many bite marks and scratches), trying to use an old fashioned catapult to spring over the walls, trying to fight her way out (which very nearly succeeded-unfortunately Mel didn't carry sleep-induced bullets around with her-and many other wacky tries. The latest attempt was by far the smartest-for Mel that is.

"Hey guys…uh-what's up with Yugi?" Malik strode over to were his two friends were sitting.

Yugi pointed to the claw marks on the floor and panted out: "Mel's…latest…attempt!"

"Oooh I see. I wish I could have seen it…"

Malik was silenced by Mel's death glare. It was true that all of them dreamed of seeing and doing something different that sitting around doing nothing all day in a strict military base, but Mel wanted it more than anything. Whilst she wasn't the only woman to reside in the camp, she was the only one seen and teased on a daily basis. 'Lady Anzu' was treated with proper respect and had all the luxuries she wanted.

Definition:- **Lady Anzu.(Noun) **A hot-headed, idiotic, sluttish, spoiled daddy's princess.

After successfully silencing Malik Mel's face fell, disappointment written all over it. Yugi stopped laughing at this and Malik stopped cowering.

"Listen Mel-"

"I'm going to my room. Don't disturb me for a while please…"

Yugi stood up along with Mel and stood up slightly on his toes to rest a hand on Mel's shoulder. She smiled sadly and began making her way towards her room. However she didn't get very far before a lanky mass of blonde hair knocked her back down.

"Yug'? Yugi there you are! Come quickly!"

Mel pushed Jou off her and looked at his distraught face in worry. Yugi also noted his expression and rushed over to him.

"Jou? Jou, what happened?"

"Yugi it's Grandpa he's-"

But Jou was given no time to explain as Yugi bolted towards the Hospital Quarters, as he had a horrible feeling that's exactly were he'd find his Grandpa.

-

Seto had found the SS Millennium with apparent ease. He had not lied to Yami when he had told him 'She was exactly were you left her'. Crashed into the side of the bay. When the others finally found him, he had gone through at least five bottles of rum (which apparently had no affect on him).

"Well. That's interesting." Was all Yami had said before jumping back onto his beloved 'Millie'. 'Katt' had scowled and rolled up her sleeves before jumping on board. After a few crash, bangs and wallops later Seto, Marik and Bakura joined her.

"Where's Yami?" Seto had asked a calm and untouched 'Katt'.

"Cleaning up-then were gonna go pick up the crew."

Seto nodded before steering the SS Millennium away from the bay. It was going to be a long journey to Domino.

-

Yugi dropped to his knee's at the side of his Grandpa's bed. He was awake, Yugi noted with relief, but had many bandages and scars adorning him. Sugoroku smiled weakly at his grandson.

"Grandpa, what happened?"

"Pirates."

And that's all that needed to be said. Mel and Jou had arrived shortly after Yugi, Malik had gone to get Ryou, and heard the last word spoken by Sugoroku. They looked at him in shock.

"But I thought you were hanging that pirate crew led by Yami Moto today-were you attacked on the way home?"

Sugoroku looked up and locked eyes with Mel. Instantly his eyes widened.

"Grandpa?" Yugi whispered, fearing the worst.

Sugoroku had always known his grandson and his friends looked like the crew of the SS Millennium, it was one of the reasons he insisted on keeping them safe inside the military base, for fear one of them would be wrongly accused of being a pirate. However, although there was known to be a woman pirate amongst the crew of Yami Moto, Sugoroku had only really seen her today. And by God-Mel and 'Katt' looked the exact same.

"They escaped. We had to fight them."

"Oh…Grandpa are you sure your alright? Don't worry, you'll catch them again. I know you will." Mel smiled reassuringly.

"Thank you. Would you mind if I spoke to my grandson a moment? Privately?"

"Of course not. Come on Jou, we'll wait outside."

Yugi looked up at his Grandpa with wide, confused eyes. Sugoroku opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally starting:

"Do you still have that necklace your mother gave you before she died?"

"Um…yes Grandpa I do-why?"

"Keep it safe-at all times. You haven't told anyone about it have you?"

"No Gramps" Yugi smiled innocently "I haven't."

Sugoroku stared at Yugi, looking for any signs that he was lying to him. Then he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"What's going on Grandpa?"

For a couple of minutes, Sugoroku contemplated telling Yugi everything, but stopped himself just in time.

"It's nothing. Run along now, I need time to rest."

Yugi looked like he was going to protest but closed his mouth once he heard his Grandpa emit a loud snore from his mouth.

"Stay safe Grandpa…" he said softly before making his way out of the room. Once the door had closed behind him, Sugoroku sat up slightly staring sadly at the door.

"You too Yugi…you too…"

* * *

**Mel::still snuggling Yugi and now cuddling Yami::**

Remember to reveiw. It's that little purply-bluish button there **points **I've also set a trail of gunpowder from the reveiw button to your comments, so if you flame, think about what will happen!

**Mel&Yugi::chibi eyes:: **Gingerbread men for all you nice reveiwers! We have early christmas treats too! **::evil grins directed towards Cat and Yami::**

**Cat&Yami::stare at each other fearfully before running off::**


	3. Chapter 3

Sugurokou's POV

If it's one thing I hate, it's lying to my grandson. Lying to Yugi always reminds me of lying to my daughter. Things may have turned out differently if I hadn't kept many things a secret like I did. His wide amethyst eyes are filled with so much innocence, much like hers was before she changed. I'm not ashamed of Yugi because of who his father was. It took a long time, but I'm not ashamed of my daughter anymore. You can't help whom you fall in love with and my daughter falling in love with a pirate falls into that category.

I myself have never been superstitious or believed in legends and stories, but there are times in every person's life when they start to question their own beliefs. Being of high ranking in the Navy-and now that I'm getting on a bit now mind you-I've heard just about every sea shanty there is to hear. My daughter was always fascinated in them and Yugi is just the same. I've told them every single one I know; the obvious ones of Caption Kidd and Blackbeard but also the less obvious, of Giant Squids and Sea Kings daughters.

But there is one, which he shall never know of. It scares me to think that perhaps there are Giant Squids ready to tear down a fleet of Navy ships and that if I'm not careful Davvy Jones'll be after me. Every time I have these thoughts the more logical side of my brain tells me to stop being a stupid old fool. Then I think of that necklace my grandson owns and I know that the part of my brain that calls itself 'Sensibility and Logic' is telling me a load of old nonsense.

My wife was a daughter of a respected and well-known wealthy man. Her brother had become a pirate and often sent her little trinkets, which she kept a secret from both her father and me. These unexplained gifts aroused many curious questions and her refusal to tell me who they were from forced me to jump to conclusions. It was one of the many things we argued about. When our daughter questioned why we argued we would simply tell her it was 'adult business'.

And then the necklace came. It looked suspiciously like a jigsaw piece. A solid gold jigsaw piece with half an eye etched into one half. She loved it-as did our daughter. There was something about that necklace though. Whenever we were near the sea, a glazed look would overcome my wife's eyes. She'd often told me the sea was calling out to her, inviting her in. Hours were spent at the docks and slowly but surely she begun to lose her mind to thoughts that the necklace wanted to control her, so it could control the sea. She wanted to become _part_ of the sea _part_ of the necklace. And it scared me. It really did.

When she died, I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't even cry. As much as I wanted to, as much as I **prayed** to be able to, I couldn't. The tears didn't come because I had expected it. My daughter thought I was insensitive and we grew apart. I never once told her I loved her mother, because I had never said it in front of her when her mother was alive. The gifts had carried on coming for a while after she had died, but stopped about a year or two later.

My time would be taken up with missions. Whether or not they were life threatening did not matter. I just felt so empty. I knew my daughter wore her mother's necklace. It was a way for her to remember, but also a way for her to carry on holding a grudge against me. I didn't know she was involved with anyone until it emerged she was pregnant. When I heard it was a pirate she had become infatuated with I pretty much disowned her there and then. It was a selfish and cruel way at getting back at her.

When Yugi was born I couldn't bring myself to carry on denying I had a daughter. He was beautiful. By then it was too late. It was when I first went to visit Yugi that she told me about the necklace. Her…'husband' had told her stories about it. That it was part of something much bigger and when it was joined with other pieces like it, the person or persons who inserted the final piece would be in control of the sea. It sounded too much like an old Greek legend to be real to me. I didn't understand why she told me that and probably never will. After she had done, she had told me to get out.

It was a couple of months later when I was awoken by the sound of a baby crying. It was raining outside and the crying simply wouldn't stop. There were no newborn babies in the village were I lived-only toddlers. I shot downstairs and opened my front door, half expecting my daughter to be there. She wasn't. Yugi was. There was a note along with that necklace I now very much despise.

_**Father,**_

_**I would like Yugi to keep the necklace.**_

_**Shannon. **_

That was it. Somehow I knew this was the last time I, or anyone else for that matter, would hear of my daughter. Something had happened and it had made her exactly like her mother. Which is probably one of the reasons I moved into one of my bases. I didn't want Yugi going through what his Grandmother and mother went through. I didn't want to lose another one of my family.

During the first five years of living in the base, four new children showed up. They all had similar necklaces to Yugi's only theirs was plain. I didn't ask about them. I didn't want to know. All I knew was I had to keep them safe.

When Yugi turned sixteen, Yami Moto came into the picture. I had been outside the base, visiting my old village. Every now and again I would go back, just to remember. I allowed myself one day of 'What if's?' and 'What would things be like?'. That's when I saw the wanted poster. The first thing that shocked me was the similarities between them and my grandson and his friends. This Seto had the exact same determined look on his face, the same as Jou's, even if they didn't look the same. There was thought to have been another member but no picture. The second thing was the necklace's they all wore. They matched Yugi's and his friends.

For a split second my heart stopped beating. I had always told Yugi and his friends never to show each other their necklaces and to keep them a secret, just incase they tried doing something stupid with them or the other pieces reacted strangely to one another. For three years I have searched for that crew. I needed to take them down. Yugi and Mel had tried to get out of the base a few times, but I wouldn't let them. I needed them safe. I needed Yugi safe.

Although it was stupid of me, I now found myself telling my brain that if Yugi, Mel or anyone else got out they would bump into these pirates and I would lose them. Lose Yugi. Which is the reason I put extra security around the base.

Which brings me back to lying to my grandson. I lie to him about why I keep him in the base, I lie about his parents, and I lie about his necklace. And now I'm lying to him about me. I'm dying. I took a fatal hit back at the gallows. That girl can sure pack a wallop. All I can do now is hope that Yugi will be ok after I'm gone and doesn't try anything stupid. Perhaps he can join the navy along with the others. I know Mel has it rough here, but she could be a real star if she tried. Ryou, the quiet one, is more intelligent than he gives himself credit for. Malik would be brilliant in combat. Jou…well I'm sure they could find something for him.

All I ask is that you stay safe Yugi. Stay safe.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry if I took long to update I kept having to re-write this chapter because I had many idea's for it, but didn't really know how to put it all down. Plus my keyboard broke down on me. Might have something to do with a certain someone eating muffins and then typing whilst the crumbs were still on there fingers::cough:: Mel ::cough::**

**Mel::Blush::**

**Anyway, I hope your catching onto the plot, even if it's just a little bit. Thanks for the reveiws guys! I'm glad you like the story. Some people have favourited (is that even a word?) it!**

**Mel: And it makes her big head even bigger ::ducks pillow thrown by Cat::**

**Ornvinge-Yup thats why Gramps had to die. I didn't really want any of the characters to have any sort of attachment to the base. Also it would probably make things confusing as the story went on and I don't want people asking 'When are they going to return?' or 'What about Grampa?' Plus there may be some suprises...(Oh and glad you like the ship name! I may not like Yu-Gi-Oh that much but I absoloutely adore pirates::Tries not to lok at Mel's glaring::)**

**Kurama-ness-You've caught on::Shifty eyes:: It seems I wasn't able to hide the fact from you! Yeah it is loosely based off PoTC and I'll probably rob a few lines here and there as the story goes on. Who can blame me? PoTC rocks!**

**Mel: So carry on enjoying the fic and Happy Christmas!**

**Cat: And New Year! I probably won't upload again until after the New Year, but I am working on the next chapter. I hope you've all been good this year! Who knows, if santa drops by I might upload before then!**

**Mel::Has to restrain from hitting Cat:: Just stop your useless ramblings and get on with the fic already!**

**Cat:Ahem: Yes...I was getting to that...Anyway, Chapter 4!**

* * *

A lone figure stood, cloaked partially by the shadows, watching as two children laughed and jumped up and down on their beds. The view through the window was restricted, but the figure knew a man would be entering the children's room at any minute. As if on que, the door opened and a tall man with almost brown hair entered and the children ran and hugged him. The figure allowed itself a rarity-a true smile. It stepped out of the shadows to get a better look at the man.'He's grown up so much'

Whilst the figure was studying the man, it didn't realize that one of the children had chosen that moment to stare out of the window.

"Daddy! Daddy! Who's that?" The little girl pointed.

"Crap!"

Quickly, the figure stood against the wall underneath the window ledge to hide. Much bustling was heard before the already half open window was flung open wide.

"There's no-one there darling. Look." The man sighed and put the little girl to bed along with her brother, "Sweet dreams."

"Can't we have a story dad? One about pirates and that real famous one Yami Moto? Tell us the one about the time they fought the army of cursed men and the Aztec gold!"

"No, no, no, I wanna hear one about Aunt Catherine daddy! Tell us more about her!"

"Not tonight kids, get some sleep."

"Awww but dad-"

"No buts! Bed!"

Once again there was movement and the figure waited until it could hear the stillness before relaxing slightly. Just as it was about to move, it heard a voice coming from above.

"Harmony…if you're out there…I just wanted you to know…I forgive you."

Then the window was closed and all was quiet once again. The figure was so still, it could have been part of the wall and nobody would notice. Then, it smiled and began walking down the road.

"Thank-you"

-

Yugi's POV:-

I can't believe this is happening to me. Me of all people. What did I do to deserve this? Perhaps it was for all those times I tried to escape the base. Well I have my wish now. A month out of base and it's been by far the worst month of my life. Everything in this…new world-it's like a completely new planet to me-is so fast. You've got to be able to stand up for yourself and be able to use your fists to bargain. I'm not exactly the violent type.

I want to blame Gramps for my small build, but I'm in no mood to joke about him. After he died I tried to joke about with memories, but they only made me cry harder. When I was struggling to keep a job (I have no experience with any of these things! People look at me strangely when I ask for help in understanding. Do people start work when they're five or something and that's how they know how to do everything?) The jokes didn't work. And when I was looking for a place to live-they didn't work then either.

So every night, after finishing my work with the blacksmiths, I return to my slump in one of the many back alleys. And it's all one persons fault. Someone who I used to admire. 'Lady' Anzu. She looked so upset when Gramps died, tears streaking her cheeks and wobbling voice enough to convince us all she was truly sorry and hurting because she had lost someone whom she considered 'dear to her'.

When the funeral was over she asked me to see her in her rooms. I had a little bit of a crush on her when I was younger…but I pretty much knew my sexuality now. Of course I didn't have that much of a big head and ego-she could have been asking me anything. What I didn't expect was her lashing out at me and yelling things I didn't understand.

/\/\

_"Yugi…I want you out."_

_Yugi stared at Anzu with confused, wide eyes. He looked around expecting this to be some sort of joke. Nothing._

_"Excuse me, Lady Anzu, what on earth do you mean?"_

_"You! You remind me of him. Damn you're a worthless scumbag! Even he's not as worthless as you are! You could never match his standards! I want you out of this base! OUT!"_

_If Yugi was surprised at Anzu's shouting, he wasn't as nearly as surprised as he was at what she did next. Back-handing Yugi so hard he flew to the door, she then proceeded to spit on him and call him names. After she was done, she called for a few guards to 'escort him off the premises.'_

/\/\

Who is it that I reminded her of? Well I suppose there's no use dwelling on it now. Got to live in the present and all that….I wonder how the guys are doing by themselves in the base. I hope their ok. Apart from 'Lady' Anzu I know exactly who to blame for my current situation and I will never forgive him for what he did to my Grandpa…Never.

Yumi Muto.

End Yugi's POV-

Yugi trailed his feet down the street looking for a familiar sign in the hustle and bustle of the town square. He soon found the faded green sign with almost unreadable letters dotted here and there. A couple of people looked him up and down but dismissed him as another street urchin.

Just as he reached the door a tall (well, anyone was tall compared to him) man came running past. His hair was pulled back into a plait and his hat covered his eyes. He had a long coat on and it covered about half his face like a mask. Not a lot of people paid attention to him, which Yugi found strange as whenever a burglar or perhaps generally anyone looked like they were running away, many people paid close attention. It was probably the only form of entertainment and gossip they could get, Yugi reasoned.

He shook his head and smiled a little critically at himself. He was watching as the crowd made a small gap for him to run through and glanced behind him looking to see if someone was after him. After a couple more minutes of hesitating outside the small café, Yugi made his way in.

Katt's POV-

I knew this was a bad idea. And yet I still went. Still went to visit the old…could you call it a home? I suppose so. Anyway. Not that I can't take on a few of the officers, but sometimes you need a little break. I pull down my hat so it covers my eyes. I can't risk anyone seeing me, although from the gaps the ever-busy crowds of the square are making, I'm guessing they already know.

I risk a glance behind me to see if any of the crafty little buggers have caught up to me. Once I find the cost clear I slip into one of the back alleys. I know this place like the back of my hand and I know that if someone finds me now, they've pretty much got me hung. One of the younger officers caught me off guard and stabbed me with his 'trainee' sword and caught my side. It's not fatal, but it's still deep.

Ripping a long piece of cloth off my under-coat, I wrap it round me, tight enough to stop the ever-flowing stream of blood. Once I'm satisfied with my bandaging, I set off into the streets again, still running. Although it hurts I can't risk a run-in with those officers again. A run-in with those officers means a run-in with my cousin. My cousin, who I thought of as a baby brother. My cousin, who happened to be the lucky beggar who stabbed me.

But ultimately it means a run-in with him and I can't let him know I'm here just yet. It would ruin all my fun…is that Yami standing outside BeBe's café? Wait no…it can't be! He's far too small to be that sarcastic and stupid Cap'n of mine…but…no. I'll just keep running.

End Katt's POV-

Katt carried on running for a couple more minutes before stopping a looking behind her, in time to see the spiky haired youth make his way through the door of the café. Despite her better judgment she carefully made her way back, curious to find out a bit more about the boy.

Yugi's POV-

I don't know what possessed me to look up from the moth bitten menu I was handed when I stepped foot in the café, but I did it anyway. I was aware of all stares I was getting from who must be 'regulars' at this particular place but ignored them, knowing that eye contact would ultimately end in a few taunts (mainly about this tri-colored head of mine) and maybe a few bruises.

It was the man who I had seen run down the street before. I was a bit surprised and wanted nothing more than to turn away, anxious not to get into trouble, but found my gaze stuck firmly on him. My heart dropped to my stomach when his stormy gray eyes locked with mine and let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding when he turned his gaze away.

The dark skinned woman behind the counter immediately swooned over to him, chatting animatedly with the man and checked him out every now and again. A blush was slightly visible on her cheeks and she handed him a ready-made tea that had obviously been for another customer but nobody complained. Taking one gloved hand out of his pocket, he placed a few gold coins on the counter, but the lady shoved them back in his hand shaking her head. A bit of flirting goes a long way it seems.

He shrugged and began to walk away much to the woman's disappointment. She grabbed his arm, probably in hopes that he would stay and talk/flirt with her a bit more, but he shook his head and whispered something in her ear and I watched as she pretended to look interested, her face lighting up after a couple more seconds. When his lips left her ear she nodded enthusiastically and let go of his arm.

I looked back down when I saw he was heading my way. I pretended to look interested in my menu, but a fat lot of good it done me. I felt someone sit opposite me on my crummy table. The first time I came here, I wasn't too impressed and haven't been for a week or two; maybe three, but then again beggars can't be choosers. I sigh as I hear whispering around me and decide that it really is the man who has sat down in front of me and not some other customer intent on a chat. I look up and meet his gaze again, fidgeting uncomfortably in my seat. Fantastic. He's probably come to warn me about how I mustn't look at him again; my wide eyes aren't good enough to view him in all his greatness. Yes, this just fantastic.

End Yugi's POV-

Yugi watched as the man raised his hand and the whispers started to die down. He didn't break his gaze with the gray-eyes man, no matter how much he wanted to. The quiet that had settled around the pair was uneasy, growing as the man leaned forward and locked his fingers together, placing his head on his interlocked fingers to inspect Yugi.

"Haven't you lot got anythin' better t' do with yer time?"

Yugi was surprised at the light voice. It was slightly gruff but other than that it was a strange pitch for a man's voice. Strange or not, the quiet was quickly replaced with noise, perhaps a ridiculous level. The stranger pulled down his coat and his eyes widened. He was a…

Katt's POV-

I allowed a small smile to creep its way across my face. Of course he'd think I was a man. I look down at my bloody hand and wiped it on my over-coat. He fidgeted a bit more on his seat before settling into a-hopefully-comfortable position. It intrigued me how much he looked like Yami. It was like looking at a much more innocent version of the Captain I was used to serving. I'm going to say a silent prayer now that Yami does not have any offspring. One is quite enough thanks.

I'm amazed that the small boy has kept my gaze for so long. Not a lot of people can stand the weight that my gray eyes sometimes hold when looking at a person. Come to think of it, this boy does have lovely eyes. The violet makes him look so much more innocent then he probably already is. His eyes are still wide. Perhaps I should have kept the coat up?

"M-Mel?"

Frowning I shake my head and he looks relieved. My eyes dart everywhere in his moment of relaxation and my eye catches something I've never known anyone else but me and my Mates to own…a piece of the Millennium puzzle.

'Fuck, Fuck, Fuckity, Fuck.' Was the first thought to enter my mind. Does this kid know what he's carrying? He's talking again but I'm not listening properly. I'm gonna have to get him out of here. Lord knows what'll happen if I don't. I can see BeBe making her way over but she's just gonna have to wait.

"Look kid, I know yer don't know me an' I could be a ravin' lunatic fer all ye know, but yer gonna have t' trust me when I tell ya, it's not safe fer ye here."

End Katt's POV-

Yugi's Pov-

I watch as she looks down at her hand. It's covered with blood. She wipes it with some grim satisfaction and I decide not to question her. It's then that I take a good look at her and my already wide eyes widen to the size of saucers. For a minute I think that it could be Mel…but it can't be…can it?

The woman sitting in front of me is a more-dare I say-mature looking version of my best friend. I'd gotten over the initial shock of the fact that it was a woman dressed in men's clothes and had gotten respect from the whole café. I suppose the small smug-ish smile on her face is because she thinks I automatically assumed her to be male. Which I did of course, but in this place I've learnt that perhaps anything really is possible-but no. My shock lies in the fact that she and Mel look nearly exactly alike.

I continue my fidgeting wondering weather or not it would be a good idea to open my mouth first. The noise level is still high, but not nearly as high as it was when the woman first raised her hand, but I decide that it would be safe for me to risk saying something. After all were just sitting here…

"M-Mel?" I ask, silently cursing my stutter.

The woman frowns at me a little before shaking her head and I'm a bit more than relived that she isn't my childhood friend. Now that we've broken out of our little trance I'm suddenly finding it a lot easier to talk. So I ask her things like her name and where she comes from, but it soon becomes apparent that she's not listening but instead looking like she's scrutinizing me. For a second her eyes widen a few millimeters before she sits up straight and looks at me, a serious expression adoring her face.

"Look kid, I know yer don't know me an' I could be a ravin' lunatic fer all ye know, but yer gonna have t' trust me when I tell ya, it's not safe fer ye here."

End Yugi's POV-

The two people sat in the café for all but a half hour, but it could have very well been hours for all they knew. There was a slight tension in the air as both Yugi and Katt sized each other up. There was a sort of sincerity in her voice as she spoke to Yugi and although he would never know why he did it, he nodded his head.

Katt stood up but leaned over so that she was up in Yugi's face. He leaned back a little from her but started to pay close attention when he saw what she was showing him. It was a necklace like his only plain gold. Curiosity took over from the fear he was feeling and he placed a hand over his chest. Katt nodded to herself before tucking her part of the puzzle away.

"How long have yer had that necklace?"

"My whole life…"

Before any more questions could be asked, the door flew open and a mini army of officers stormed in. Tables were overturned and people were shoved out of the way. Yugi tugged on Katt's arm and despite his better judgment, made sure his eyes were asking his questions when she turned to him. She nodded as an answer to his silent question.

"See that lass in the corner there? Go over an' tell her that yer need to use the rug to exit. I'll be seein' yer soon."

And with that she pushed him on his merry way, before making herself known to the officers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If there was one thing Yami Moto was good at, it was knowing when trouble was around. He had some sort of sixth sense and he could sniff out trouble better than a dog sniffs out meat. His crews were probably wreaking havoc somewhere and he was just looking for a good pub. Instead of worrying about how many broken windows there'd be tomorrow morning he walked proudly into the Leather Bottle.

When he did he almost immediately regretted it. Ducking so that a tankard wouldn't hit him, he knew that his senses had been right yet again. And look-! He'd run into Katt on the way. Knowing that he was almost 99 correct that it had been Katt who'd thrown the tankard he made his way over. Hopefully, he could make it there before she beat up another poor suspecting fool, who'd probably tried to feel her up.

-

Mel had had a tiring week. She was living with a crazy man who owned a sorry excuse for a pub. How she had ended up there was unknown. After a month of looking for Yugi in Domino she had just about given up hope.

'Ok who's idea was it to make this city this big?!'

Shifting uncomfortably in her new dress, she served yet another customer. Half the people were already drunk or in the midst of drowning their sorrows. She sighed and rubbed her temples. Funny, how things change. This time last month, she would have given anything to be were she was today. Out of the base, living a normal life. If only she knew what she did today.

/\/\

_"Lady Anzu, I'm terribly sorry to bother you, but have you seen Yugi around the base lately?"_

_Lady Anzu turned to the person who'd addressed her with a worried face. Mel curtsied slightly before walking beside her._

_"I'm awfully sorry Melanie, but I haven't seen him since poor old Sugoroku passed away. Oh I do hope he's ok…"_

_Mel had left it at that, convinced that Lady Anzu was just as worried as she was. Running to find the rest of the guys who were also out looking Yugi, she didn't expect to hear voices coming from Yugi's empty room. Hoping that perhaps Yugi had returned from wherever he had gotten to, she walked up to his door._

_"Yeah, I hear she sorted him out good."_

_"Why did she want him out?"_

_"Not sure, but I know she gave him a right earful. But then again, lets face it, the little runt was just going to be in everyone's way. It was General Sugoroku being his Grandpa that kept him here."_

_Mel gasped and put a hand over her mouth. Yugi had been kicked out? Out into the world on his own, with no clue how to survive? Perhaps it was selfish, but she couldn't help being a little jealous. Fortunately her motherly instinct kicked back in and she barged into the room._

_"Where did you put him? I demand to know what you've done with Yugi!" she'd yelled._

_The two guards patrolling Yugi's room looked up surprised before bursting out into laughter._

_"Sorry, were not allowed to tell you that Miss. Besides what're you going to do? Scratch the information out of us?"_

_"I think that maybe you should leave."_

_Mel, who was getting even more furious that she already was with each passing second, picked up the nearest thing to her (which happened to be a paperweight) and threw it at the idiots who called themselves patrol officers. Shocked at Mel's behavior, the guards charged at her and took her to Lady Anzu. Later that day, she too was thrown out of the base._

/\/\

Taking her necklace into her hand she began to fiddle about with it. It comforted her somewhat to know it was there. It reminded her of her mother, someone who she thought she'd forgotten a long time ago. She allowed herself a small moment to reflect once she knew nobody else was coming to order drinks.

Up until she was about eight she remembered living in a boarded up house. It was all she had ever known. She knew that other people and families lived there and around the house was a broken community. Her mother was a pretty woman, with dark brown hair and dark eyes. Whereas her mother wasn't always there for her in her first eight years of life, she knew deep down that she loved her.

Getting up to serve another customer, she thought about the family that had lived upstairs from their room. It was a big family and there were often many noises coming from them that Mel didn't understand. What she did understand was that they weren't nice ones. Screams and banging could often be heard and whenever she'd ask her mother what was going on she was ignored. Perhaps her mother had just trained herself not to hear what was going on.

As she handed the men their drinks she thought back to when she had received her necklace. It was the last time she had ever saw her mother…

/\/\

_A young girl sat silently and watched her mother praying, the cross she was holding shaking a little more in her hand at every word she muttered. Crashes could be heard in the room above, a little shouting here and there but no screams or pleas for help. Then…_

_"STOP!"_

_The noises did indeed stop. The girl glanced at her mother once again to see she had stopped praying and that her eyes were open wide in fear. Finally noticing her daughters curious stare; she beckoned her over with a gentle smile. Warily the girl placed her arms around the woman._

"_Melanie, your such a wonderful girl. You'll grow up to be beautiful and smart-unlike half the people already stuck in this trap. Run and grow and laugh and play freely, Melanie. Live the life we always wanted. Live the life that we want __**you**__ to live."_

_Confusion was the only emotion present in the little girl before the door was flung wide open and another girl flew past them and into the wall. A tall man looked in on them._

"_Stop? STOP? WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?"_

"_Run Melanie darling. Run…!"_

_The mans dark eyes boar into her before turning to the broken heap on the floor. Melanie followed his gaze and stared shocked as the older girl struggled to stand. Her eyes were filled with fire and hatred as she looked levelly back at the man. She was wearing a strange uniform. _

"_You bastard!"_

_Once again she was struck down and kicked in the side. This time, Melanie watched as her mother went over to help, pleading with the man to just leave the girl be. As she was doing this, she backed towards the door, her mother's idea of running becoming more appealing with each passing second._

"_You!" the man snarled "This is your fault! Look at her! She wouldn't be this way if you hadn't got involved with my business and kept your bloody stupid ideas to yourself!"_

_Mel watched horrified as he backhanded her mother so hard her necklace flew off and skidded across the floor towards the door. And he wouldn't stop beating them. The girl in the uniform tried her best to fight back but was to weak at that present moment from her own beatings._

"_TAKE THE NECKLACE AND RUN MELANIE! RUN!"_

_She didn't need to be told twice._

_/\/\_

Although she knew that there was nothing she could have done to stop what had happened, Mel couldn't help but feel the guilt rise in her. She had grabbed the necklace and just as she had made it to the door, the man who had previously focused his attention on her mother and the girl had made it in front of her. Frozen in fear, she didn't try to struggle past him. She remembered the girl in the uniform staggering over to the man and punching him, the determination in her eyes never dying…

"Go…Melanie is it? Quickly now."

Come to think of it, that girl had the most beautiful eyes…what color where they again? Gray…blue?

"Excuse me love, one beer and a whiskey."

Mel looked up and her fake smile turned into a scowl. Standing in front of her were the two guards who were responsible for her being where she was today. And Yugi wherever the poor boy was. The man seemed to recognize her as he started to back away towards the door. It done him no good however, as a tankard came hurtling his way along with a war cry of:

"YOU!"

-

As Yami got closer to the scene, he saw that the offending woman was in fact-not Katt. Apart from the fact that the woman had good aim, Yami noted just how much she looked like one of his closest crewmembers. Yami would have described the woman as a more innocent looking version of his friend, but the viciously angry look in her eyes told him otherwise.

A crowd had gathered now but the pub owner seemed to be no-where in sight. Probably in a drunken slob-like state, Yami thought. Deciding to be the bigger man, he grabbed an unguarded tankard and quietly laughed at the guard's faces. Sure, Katt was scary when she was angry, but this woman would put even Bakura's bad moods to shame. It was when he saw that the barmaid had moved onto throwing the bottles of Rum that he figured the fight had gone on long enough.

Placing the now empty tankard onto a random table he jumped over the bar and grabbed the woman's arm. She looked up and her wild demeanor vanished. Yami was surprised at how easy he had got the woman to calm down.

"Calm down love, yer might hurt more than these runts if yer carry on. Namely the rum."

Mel's POV-

Oh. My. God. Is this Yugi? No it's not. Woah…those eyes are like blood…Ok Melanie get a hold of yourself. This man…who is he? I don't think Yugi has a brother. But this guy looks so much like him…

I place the bottles down and the crowd slowly disperses. I am aware that the guards are slowly shuffling away, but right now those cowards are the last things on my mind. Although I've pretty much established that the man standing in front of me is _not_ Yugi, but a much more mature…possibly creepier…looking version of him. Still I have some sort of nagging at the back of my mind to ask…Should I?…No…

Well…it wouldn't hurt to know…

End Mel's POV-

Yami's POV-

I'm glad the lass has calmed down. She's already smashed a few bottles of Holy Water-otherwise known as Rum. How else is a pirate meant to stay sane if he ain't got his rum? I know this lass in front of me ain't Katt, but it's bloody scary how much they look the same. I let go of her arm. After all, I don't fancy being the next poor bugger on her hit list.

She looks confused. Maybe it is Katt and she's pissed off Otogi again…I remember last time he turned her into a little un'…not a nice memory. Anyway, perhaps I should ask, just to be on the safe side.

Then again, if Otogi's in town, nobody is safe.

End Yami's POV-

Every single person looked up from his or her drink at what happened next.

"YUGI/KATT?!"

Arms were thrown into the air at the same time, faces went through different stages of confusion and pennies were threw at their feet by passers by the people who had just walked in who thought they were a some sort of act. After a couple of minutes of gaping the pair seemed to be content in knowing that the person standing in front of them was not who they thought them to be.

"I'm sorry, it's just you look suspiciously like a close friend of mine. If you were a bit smaller it would be difficult to tell the two of you apart!"

Yami cocked his head to the side before smiling. He took off his captain's hat and bowed.

"Surprisingly you look like a mate o' mine too! Not alotta people look like me though lass," Yami motioned to his hair and eyes, "I'd like to meet this friend o' yours."

Mel smiled back before her face fell and she stopped mid-nod. Yami frowned and Mel explained:

"I've lost him…it would take a bit of explaining, but we were kicked out of somewhere and he could be in danger at the moment and I wouldn't know…" Mel sniffed and wiped her tears away.

Yami nodded and felt a slight pang of guilt before taking her hand and pulling her out of the pub, grabbing a few bottles of rum as he did.

"What're you-?"

"Since I can't meet yer friend, I'm gonna take ya t' see mine!"

-

Yugi felt oddly out of place in the stone room the old lady in the corner of the room had taken him too. He still wasn't quite sure weather or not he had made the right decision in trusting the woman he had met the previous hour before, but guessed it was too late to back out of whatever it was he had gotten himself involved in.

The old lady had led him threw the gang of rowdy people with apparent ease and into a back room. There was a bitty, faded rug under a just as faded coffee table. Although it should have been predictable from what the woman back in the main part of the café said, it still shocked Yugi when the old lady pulled back the rug and opened a trap door. It was cleverly done though, to look like the door was part of the floor.

Quickly making their way down the stairs, Yugi couldn't help but think 'creepy'. The old lady had left him just as quickly as she had joined him once they had made their way to the bottom. Crashes could be heard from up above and a few inaudible yells. Yugi took a deep breath before looking around. There were a few pieces of furniture and an old bookcase standing against the right hand wall. Taking one of the chairs that had randomly been placed in the middle of the room, Yugi waited.

-

Katt dodged yet another attack. She knew she was tiring as her own attacks became weak and clumsy. She had taken a few hits and quickly found out that these boys meant business. Although she hated to run away, she knew she'd have to get out of the café quick and get to the boy who was hopefully waiting in the secret room under the kitchens floors.

She twirled her sword and knocked another young solider out with its hilt. Ducking an attack that came from her right, she knocked the boys legs from underneath him and rolled over to kick his weapon out of sight. She didn't want to kill any of these boy's, but it was getting harder and harder not to want to get rid of a few of them. Trying to make her way over to the back room was hard, but she was determined to get back to the ship. Preferably in one piece.

A few punches, elbows, kicks and scratches later she was outside the door. Thanking whomever it was who was watching over her she made her way over to the rug. Just as she was about to bend down to unveil the trapdoor underneath, she heard a cough behind her. Spinning round quickly she drew her sword and was surprised to see a familiar face standing opposite her.

"Cousin."

The blonde haired boy she knew was growing into a handsome man. His blonde hair had grown so that it tickled his shoulders and all his baby fat had turned into muscle. The only thing that worried her was his brilliant blue eyes, which were once so bright, were now as dull as coal. He had his sword drawn and his face held an expression of indifference.

"Must yer be so formal Sammy? My, my, you've grown quite a lot." She smiled and her own eyes held a hint of pride.

"Don't call me that."

Her smile faded but she didn't have the heart to look hurt. She knew why he felt the way he did. Putting her own sword away, she took a few steps up to him. They were about the same in height and Katt knew even in her weakened state, she'd be able to take him on and get him out the way without killing him. It would be so easy to just reach up and…

"Ok I won't. How abouts yer put ya sword away and maybe we won't have to keep fightin'"

"There's more than one reason behind that second sentence, we both know that. Whereas my brother may find it easy to forgive you I don't. I'll never forgive you for what you've done."

"He's changed you…but I understand. I guess yer'll never know the truth kid. I'll always be proud of ya though, no matter what ya do."

"That doesn't give me the same sense of belonging it did when I was five. You lost the right to be _proud _of me a long time ago. I've wanted to kill you ever since…ever since…that day…"

Katt closed her eyes and bowed her head. There were a lot of unsaid things and a lot unknown things that had caused such a break up between the two. For now, he could keep that grudge…

_Blood, Cries, Screams…_

Right now she had more important things to do. Like figure out why that boy had a piece of the Millennium Puzzle…

_Whispers, Shouts, Pain…_

Carefully, she grabbed Sam's right wrist, the one that was holding the sword. He looked shocked for a few minutes, before regaining his cold composure.

_"Traitor!"_

_"Weak…"_

_"Thank…you…"_

Twisting his wrist so his grip loosened on the sword, Katt then proceeded to kick him in the stomach. Feeling the bandage around her waist fall apart, she knew she had to end it quickly. Grabbing the now unguarded sword she turned it round so that she was holding the sharp end.

"If you hadn't of forgave me, you would of stuck this in my chest a long time ago…" she dropped the pirate accent and hit Sam on the back of the neck so that he was out cold.

"Forgive me now…for leaving you once again…"

After she had placed the sword next to her cousin, she flung open the window to make it look like that was how she'd made her escape. Quickly, she disappeared through the trapdoor.

-

Yugi wasn't quite sure what to expect when he heard footsteps behind him. He knew he could probably play the innocent prisnor if it was one of the Soldiers, but if it was one he'd shared the base with…

"Hey kid."

Yugi stood up and turned around to see the woman that he'd talked with before the whole…whatever it was upstairs. He was shocked to see a little blood running down the side of her leg. Noticing were his gaze was traveling she said:

"I wouldn't worry if I were you. It's a little scratch nothin' a little bandagin' won't fix."

Nodding Yugi sat back down again, somehow finding it hard to meet her gaze. Katt leant against the wall staring at the necklace Yugi wore with curiosity. She couldn't help but remember when she first got hers…

/\/\

_Katt leant against the stone wall of the dungeons and glared at the floor. She was so stupid…to have been caught like she had done. She could only hope that…_

_"Oi, kid!"_

_She wasn't given a chance to respond, as she was shoved out into the dimly lit corridors and her hands were tied. She was thankful that she wouldn't have to adjust her eyes to any type of bright light. Everyone knew that this…well it could hardly be called a house-more like a torture museum-was built underground._

_She was led up numerous flights of stairs before she was finally pushed through to an even colder room than the dungeons. It was big and round, lit up by torches of fire. There was a stained glass window, but it acted more as a painting, as it let no light through. In the middle of the room stood a menacing wooden contraption. Immediately Katt knew what it was._

_"Welcome Harmony. I trust you find your stay enjoyable?"_

_Katt growled at the figure cloaked in shadow. She knew who it was and it sickened her to the bone to know that they were blood. It made her want to drain her body of the red liquid. She stopped mid-growl when her eyes caught sight of a bloody mass on the floor. Her eyes widened and her heartbeat sped up._

_"D-Dad?"_

_As soon as the words left her mouth, she was rewarded with a blow to the jaw. The bloody mass was up like a shot and immediately mimicked the punch with one of his own to the dark figure._

_"Don't you EVER touch my daughter again!"_

_He collapsed into Katt's arms coughing. Katt read through the cough and knew it was fake. Confused she took hold of her fathers hand, only to find something cold and slippy be placed in it. She stared at her father and gasped when she found the gold necklace he always wore gone._

_"Keep it safe for me," he whispered._

_Guards were around him in an instant, now that they knew there was no danger of a comeback from the feared pirate. They led him up to the hangman's noose and placed a bag over his head. Katt watched horrified as the man she knew as her uncle stepped up to the lever, which would open the trapdoor._

_"What're you doing?! DAD! DO SOMETHING! LET HIM GO!"_

_"Keep her quiet."_

_A gag was placed in her mouth and she was pushed roughly into the wall, kept in her place by three strong guards, forced to watch as her father hang. The man who had come back into her life when she was ten and had stayed with her for four years, showing her kindness and bravery, was going to hang and there was nothing she could do about it. Tears streamed down her face and she kicked out in hope of breaking free. Then she heard a sickening crunch. Her head shot up as she saw her father hanging limply from the noose. Her will broke and she sank to the floor._

'He broke his own neck…'

_General Robinson looked at the body with disdain. Then he turned to Katt and hauled her up by the collar of her jacket._

_"Get rid of him. Don't bother removing the bag; I don't want to look at his face. All of you-leave at once,"_

_The guards all rushed to get out of the door and leave the pair alone. Katt watched as the lifeless body of her father was dragged out of the room with no dignity. A lone tear splashed to the floor._

_"What can I say? You get close to people and they just let you down. To think, for fourteen long years I allowed you to live under my roof. I gave you training allowed you into the academy. You're a brilliant soldier. And yet there you were with a pirate! The very same pirate who killed your mother! I should give you the same treatment as him. But no- you still have some use left within you. I'm sending you away to war again for a year. Hopefully you can die a semi-honorable death there."_

_Katt nodded, staring at the now closed door. Her last hope of getting out of his grasp was dead and on the other side of that door. She knew her mother wasn't dead, but she had no energy left within her to argue. She watched as her uncle slowly made his leave. Once the door was closed, she fell to her knees and her body shook with sobs. She wouldn't let them see just how badly they affected her. She couldn't._

_Clutching onto the necklace like it was her last lifeline, she made her way to the door to get ready to be sent off._

/\/\

Katt remembered just how helpless she had felt. She had already met Yami and his crew a few years earlier, having had helped the eccentric pirate out of a few messes a couple of times. Even though she hardly showed it, she truly was grateful for them. Without them, she would still be the same hollow, emotionless shell she was back then.

Yugi watched as the woman slowly opened her eyes and her arm fell from her chest. She made her way over and crouched in front of him.

"The name's Katt, second names, ages an' whatever happened before now aren't important. What's yer name kid?"

"Uh…Yugi Ma'am…"

Katt smiled a little before snatching the necklace off Yugi's neck. He flinched a little and then looked up. He gasped looking at the two near-identical necklace Katt was holding.

"As yer can see, me an' you need t' have a little chat."

* * *

**I hope it wasn't too confusing for you to follow. I know this chapter is full of flashbacks and POV's so I understand if right now your all sitting there thinking "WTH!". I'm also sorry that I've focoused a little more on the OC's and not so much on Yugi and Yami, but I want you to try and understand a little more about their pasts before I go into anyone elses, because their's is a little bit more confusing than the main characters. Also, sorry if you found some of the more er...'piratey' launguage a little hard to understand. I might of gone overboard with that! Just tell me if you want me to lay off it a bit when you review. **

**Anyway, once again Happy Christmas! Hope you have a safe and good one . Reveiw! Or I'll personally make sure Santa doesn't visit!**

**Mel::Loses restraint and hits Cat upside the head::**


	5. Chapter 5

**Forgive me people for being an absoloute idiot and uploading the wrong document :rubs back of head sheepishly:**

**Mel: :glares:**

**This is the REAL chapter 5. Dedicated to the wonderful Serzie. And a big thanks to all those NOT getting thoroughly peeved with me taking so long to upload and stuff, as I explained I'm getting really bad writers block with this story and it doesn't help that I've got preperations for my SATs coming up. As they say patience is a virtue. Also, look out for the story I'm writing to try help get rid of this annoying block stuck in my mind called 'No Paparazi' **

* * *

Katt paced up and down the room rubbing her eyes and Yugi felt more and more nervous every time she passed him. Finally grabbing a chair, Katt pulled it over and sat back in it, eyeing Yugi carefully. If she _weren't_ careful she'd scare him off. Sighing for what felt like the millionth time, she threw Yugi's necklace back at him.

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Yugi asked worriedly. Although Katt hadn't winced or shown any signs of pain, he was fairly sure that wound to her side was causing her some problems.

Katt waved her hand absently in the air, signaling she was fine. Yugi nodded but his eyes stayed firmly placed on her side, were the blood had yet to stop flowing. Coughing awkwardly, she took off the massive over-coat she was wearing and took off the undercoat, so she was left just her black trousers, knee length boots and thin white shirt. Scratch that. Her crimson shirt. Yugi gasped and Katt rolled her eyes.

"Would it make yer feel better if I were to patch it up?"

"Yes…" Yugi whispered uncertainly.

Katt ripped up what was left of her undercoat, un-tucked her shirt and clumsily started to wrap the pieces of cloth around her waist. Shuffling in his seat a little, Yugi finally got up and stopped Katt from going any further. He undone them and carefully and gently started to bandage her up. He remembered watching some of the nurses back at the base work on the wounded soldiers and did his best to secure that the bandage would do for now.

When he'd finished, she'd wanted to say thank you. She wasn't perfect with the whole health thing. She had lost count of how many times she'd been in dangerous situations and anyone would laugh at her if she'd said she hadn't perfected even the simplest of knots. She tried to say it and as she opened her mouth, she tried to get them to form on her lips, but all that came out was a casual:

"So…the necklace…"

Yugi looked down, a little put out that Katt couldn't even manage a small thanks for his effort. Somehow though, he knew she was grateful. It was just something in her eyes.

"What about it?"

"I-well-what exactly have ya been told about it?"

Yugi sat back down in his chair and scrunched up his face, the way he always did when he was thinking back on things. Katt watched with mild interest and sat back in her own chair. Yugi could never remember anything important ever being said about the necklace. His Grandpa had always just told him never to talk about it.

"Nothing really. My Gramps was the person who gave me the necklace, but he always told me never to talk about it."

Katt nodded slightly and flipped her own necklace in her hand, the memory of her father flashing through her mind for a split second. Taking a few moments to choose the right words-she was never one for conversation-she finally started:

"Yer Gramps had a good reason fer that. Tell me Yugi, do yer like stories of the sea?"

Yugi's eyes lit up with child-like joy and Katt couldn't help the small smile that sprung to her face.

"I take that as a yes. Well ya see these necklaces…well there is a story. A legend if you like. It's about a Goddess and a Pirate. See the pirate was the most feared in all of history, he was bloodthirsty and cruel, but he had a side to him that he never showed anyone. He was friendly and caring and helped out where he saw fit. Now one day he found a valuable looking puzzle and decided to keep it for his own. The only problem with that was that it was were the Goddess lived and looked out and took care of the sea.

A powerful king, her punishment for not helping him win a war against a foreign army, had imprisoned her there. Whilst she had been observing the sea, she had fallen in love with him. One thing led to another and eventually, he fell in love with her too. The Goddess convinced him to set her free, which he blindly did. Breaking the puzzle and scattering the pieces in different places across the ocean, they could finally be together. However the Goddess was growing restless staying in one form for longer than was needed. She left the pirate one night and left him heart broken.

Retreating back to her natural nature, the Goddess forgot about the pirate and caused havoc to different pirate ships or just ships in general, the only way she could get back at what the king had done to her. Although it damn near killed him, the pirate told other Pirate Lords how to imprison her again. Instead of completing the puzzle again and risk it breaking, they trapped parts of her soul into the pieces of the puzzle."

Katt stopped to see if any recognition passed Yugi's face. It took a couple of minutes, but finally he nodded and stared down at his necklace, a little dumbfounded.

"Your telling me this necklace is part of that puzzle? Well then…what do you want with it?"

"Allota' people want a part of that puzzle Yugi. The person who completes the puzzle will have to power to control the sea an' the Goddess. Or so it is said. There is a part of the legend that has been left out, lost forever, but it probably ain't important. Us pirates…were facing dark times Yugi. The world still has blank spots left to be discovered and explored; yet the government and the Armada don't seem to believe that. Their trying to get rid of us all, one way or another. It's time for us to fight back."

Yugi sat thinking for a moment, forgetting about the fact she was a pirate. Although he knew a pirate had killed his Grandpa, it was in his nature to forgive. After all, the woman sitting in front of him wasn't at fault. Katt already had a part of the puzzle. Did she want his piece? Did she deserve it?

"What makes you think you're the right person to control the sea? I'm not sure I want to just hand over my piece of the puzzle to you…"

Katt looked surprised, but it was for different reasons than Yugi thought. Putting her piece of the puzzle back round her neck, she stood up and looked towards the door.

"Everyone believes their the right person, weather or not they are. However, I'm not asking you to hand over your piece of the puzzle Yugi. I'm asking you to join my crew and me in my quest to find other people who own other pieces. If you join us there'll be six of us with pieces altogether." She smiled at Yugi and he felt himself smile back, "You can't fight the world alone after all."

Yugi stood up with a newfound confidence and walked over to Katt.

"How many pieces of the puzzle are there?"

"Eleven. (--A/N—**I have no idea how many pieces there are to the Millennium Puzzle, so** **just work with me here**) Remember that pirate I told you about? He owns the eleventh piece."

Katt marveled at how easily Yugi was taking all this. If she wasn't used to all the weirdness her Pirate life brought, she'd of called bluff and ran away from whatever lunatic had told her the story. She opened the door for Yugi and followed him up the stairs. Before they reached the second door, Katt stopped Yugi and stared at him squarely in the eyes.

"Are you sure 'bout this? Once yer in, there's no backin' out."

"What are we waiting for then?"

Yugi opened the door and crawled out into the back room of the café, trying not to think about what he was doing too much. He had no where to go after all, what was left to loose? Something in his gut told him the woman wasn't lying about the necklace, because his Grandpa was always so secretive about it. Katt smiled and followed him out.

* * *

Mel felt strangely at peace running through the streets of Domino with this man who looked like Yugi. She found herself smiling a real smile for the first time in a month. He was in the middle of telling her something about sea turtles when they arrived at the docks. Looking around the huge ship the man had dragged her on; she couldn't help but feel a little let down. Honestly, it should have been obvious by his attire what type of man he was but still…

"KATT! Katt were are ya? IF YOU'VE DRUNK ALL THE RUM AGAIN I'M GONNA-yer ok there lassy?"

Mel snapped her head up almost immediately and nodded a little too quickly. Her necklace bounced up and down, glinting in the sun and catching Yami's eye. His eyes widened when he saw what it was. All Mel saw was Yami staring at her chest and it got her a little miffed. When Yami started backing away, she lost the memory that she should hate all pirates (after all, it was due to a pirate that she was in the situation) and frowned walking towards him.

Yami was about to open his mouth and say something, when all of a sudden:

"GET OFF OF ME YOU STUPID MUTT!"

"I AIN'T NO MUTT!"

Yami shook out of his daze and frowned towards the brig. That was Seto's voice, no doubt about it, but what on earth was he doing down there?

Mel turned abruptly. She knew that voice. It was Jou! Jou was here! On this ship!

Mel looked over at Yami who simply shrugged, but he had 'The Hell?' written all over his face. Both crept over and stared through the medium sized holes of the brig, only to see a tangled mass of brown and blonde. It took a lot from both of them _not_ to start laughing, but eventually the funniness of the situation caught up with them and they were soon rolling around on the floor clutching their sides.

"Yami? Yami is that you? Get your ass down here and HELP!"

Mel thought the name over in her head…Yami…why was it so familiar?

Mel watched as Yami made his way back over to the brig, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. If there was one thing Yami loved more than rum, it was seeing his cousin in tight spots. Because Seto was Seto and he didn't get into those spots all too often.

"Of course Seto. But are yer sure yer really need my help? After all, you look pretty cozy down there!"

Seto sent one of his most piercing glares at his cousin, but it had no affect on him what so ever. After twenty years of living with him, Yami had become immune to any type of insulting gesture Seto threw his way. Mel giggled a little more before running over to stand by Yami, her excitement building at finding Jou.

"JOU!" She screeched, making Yami put his hands over his ears. Jou scrambled to get off the man he'd landed on quickly and looked up beaming. He knew that voice!

"MEL!"

Soon the two of them were laughing, leaving both Seto and Yami confused and feeling put out. Seto wanted to blow up on this blonde moron before him, but there was something about the way his brown eyes softened when he laughed that stopped him. It was…kinda nice to watch the blonde moron laugh. Yami pulled back the door to the brig and gave Seto his hand to pull him up. He didn't have to help the blonde man up, because as soon as that door was open, he bolted out and pounced on Mel.

"I take it you two know each other then?" Seto said coldly. Jou turned on him and glared.

"No, I just hug random people shouting random names so I don't look like an idiot! What do you think stupid?!"

"Well it wouldn't surprise me after what happened before Mutt."

Mel placed a hand on Jou's shoulder so he wouldn't totally loose it. She was surprised Jou hadn't noticed the similarities between Yugi and Yami yet and looked over to said person, seeing that he was currently trying not to laugh again. Seto turned to Yami and rolled his eyes, before storming up to the wheel.

"Sooo…Jou is it? Care to tell us what happened mate?"

Jou sighed and leant against the mast before explaining what happened in full detail.

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_Jou had never been one to dwell on the past longer than necessary, but when he was ordered to deliver a parcel to someone at Domino Docks (not very imaginative) he couldn't help but feel slightly bitter. He had been kicked out of the base for reasons unknown to him and he had adapted to life…out here, by getting a job as an errand boy, hired by some shady businessman. There were a few pirate ships and it just so happened the ship he was looking for didn't fly any colors. Finding the SS Millennium, he boarded and began looking for people._

"_Hello?" he called out slightly cautious. _

_Not wanting to leave the parcel unattended, Jou placed the package back in his bag and crept around a bit. He didn't know much about ships, but knew enough to know this was a mighty fine vessel. Noticing a grid looking door, he opened it and glanced down, hoping that maybe there was a staircase that led below deck and he'd find someone there. However he found it empty and was about to close it again when he felt a blade against his throat. He gasped slightly and stiffened immediately._

"_What is your purpose aboard this ship?" asked a cold voice. The pressure on the blade decreased a little, but not to a comfortable amount. _

"_Um…I was sent by Mr. Swallows to deliver this," he pulled he parcel back out of his bag and held it up to were he thought his captors eyes were, "to a Mr. Moto?"_

_The blade was sheathed and Jou turned round to find a tall brunet with ice blue eyes staring back down at him. He smiled his signature grin and handed the parcel over. He didn't notice the man's eyes widen or his already stiff posture stiffen even more as he turned to walk away and so wasn't ready for the swift movement that twirled him back round. Losing his balance, he stumbled a little, grabbing onto the brunet in attempt at saving himself from falling into the room he had opened the door to before. It didn't work however and the man fell in after him, trying to find something to hold onto so they wouldn't fall all the way to the bottom, but only succeeded in closing the door after them. They fell in a mangled heap on the floor and stayed like that for a few minutes, quietly seething before the brunet yelled out:_

"_GET OFF OF ME YOU STUPID MUTT!"_

_Jou, who didn't appreciate his new nickname was quick to defend himself:_

"_I AIN'T NO MUTT!"_

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"And that's when you two showed up!"

It was then Jou finally _noticed_ Yami. His mouth hung open and he simply gaped. Mel smiled and looked over at Yami, who seemed a little creeped out. Glancing back up at Seto, Yami smiled a little nervously and waved.

"Mel? Why does he look like Yuug'?"

Mel rolled her eyes affectionately, "Contrary to popular belief, I don't know everything Jou."

The soft moment was ruined however by the sound of guns and four people running on board. Well two people, carrying two other people. A hooded man threw another with snowy white hair on the floor and undid the knot that held them anchor to the docks. It was over fast and it took them a while to process that they were moving.

"You can't just throw him on the floor like that! He's very delicate!"

"Delicate my ass! What type of stunt was that?! Do yer want us to get killed?!"

The other hooded man threw the blonde man he was holding to the floor and received no objection from the other. Huffing loudly he shoved the other man, causing the hood to fall down and his snowy hair was revealed. Not wanting to be out-done, the angry pirate shoved the other harder. The hood fell down and platinum blonde hair and soft lavender eyes were revealed. A collective gasp was heard and the angry moment between the two was quickly lost.

"Malik?"

* * *

Katt and Yugi had made their way through the streets of Domino fairly safely. None of them had said a word, each lost in their own thoughts. When they had crawled back up into the back room of the café, they found it was deserted. Using the window Katt had previously opened, they quietly made their way out. Yugi had questioned her over the emptiness of the place, but she had just smiled and told him all the people in the café could handle themselves pretty well.

Keeping to the shadows, Yugi couldn't really tell much about Katt. Even if they hadn't of done, Yugi had the feeling he wouldn't find out much about her anyway. Everything about her was guarded, but in a subtle way. His nervousness was growing at each passing moment, but he'd said he'd go along with her and he was planning on keeping it that way.

Katt, who was normally quite good with silences, felt strangely uncomfortable with the stillness around them. A couple of times she opened her mouth, but found she had nothing to say, so clamped it back shut again. They'd been walking for about ten minutes when gunshots sounded and Yugi freaked out. Placing a hand firmly over his mouth, Katt pulled him into a nearby alleyway and started to run. They came out near the docks, just in time to see two cloaked figures swoosh past them, tailed closely by some of the same soldiers that had broken into the café earlier on.

"Katt? They weren't after us?"

"Oh there after us alright. They just ain't usin' their eyes right."

Katt looked around quickly before finally realizing the only way out was up. Kicking over the rusty bin that someone had been sick in the night before, she climbed onto it and jumped onto a nearby roof. Yugi stood unsure, watching as Katt made it seem so easy. He tentatively climbed onto the bin as Katt had, trying hard to keep his balance and reached up for her hand. Katt hauled him up and kept hold of his hand, causing him to blush adorably.

"Whatever ya do, don't let go of me hand."

She didn't wait for an answer as she ran full speed towards the dock, a stumbling Yugi close behind.

* * *

Malik and Ryou had made their way out of the base by themselves. They had decided to look for Yugi together and were disappointed not to have found him. Whilst they were making their way back to the place they were meeting Mel and Jou, they heard a racket coming for Yugi's room. Ryou had suggested they wait a while, as they could hear Mel screeching and throwing things. Malik, agreed with this sensible option.

A while later, Lady Anzu could be seen storming over to Yugi's room, pushing away anyone in her path. Curious, Malik made his way over to the door, dragging a protesting Ryou with him. Lady Anzu was always so dignified and refined, so whatever had happened must have been big for her to react like that. As they neared the door they could still hear Mel screaming, but there was another screaming voice accompanying it.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO HIM?! WHAT'S HE EVER DONE TO YOU!? THIS IS ALL HE'S EVER KNOWN!"

Malik crouched down and looked through the keyhole, just in time to see two soldiers shuffling guiltily. The back of Lady Anzu's dress could be seen, but Mel was no-where to be found.

"_HE'S A LITTLE RUNT THAT GOT IN EVERYBODY'S WAY! AND HE'S A BAD OMEN, HE LOOKS JUST LIKE HIM! I CANT HAVE HIM HERE!"_

Malik turned to Ryou, a puzzled expression on his face. What on Earth were they talking about? Apparently Mel was also in a confused state, as she lowered her voice a little.

"Are you feeling ok Lady Anzu?" Mel stressed the word Lady and continued, "Yugi's done nothing wrong. Are you sure your not just over reacting over something that's happened?"

"_HOW DARE YOU?! IF YOUR THAT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT SORRY EXCUSE FOR A MAN THEN YOU CAN LEAVE YOURSELF!"_

For about ten minutes, everything was silent. Malik and Ryou were in shock because of the news they'd just heard, but they could tell that everyone who was now standing in Yugi's old room were also shocked, although for an entirely different reason. When they heard slight footsteps toward the door, they ran like bats out of hell the way they had just came from, but before they left they heard the determined voice of Mel say:

"Maybe I will."

That had been a month ago. Getting out of the base wasn't as hard as they had thought it would be. Ryou had felt guilty leaving Jou behind, but as Malik had said, they'd probably get rid of them all one by one now Sugoroku was gone. Ryou reluctantly agreed to leave Jou behind, firmly telling himself that Jou would probably survive better in the base then anyone else could.

Security was lax and all they had had to do was wait for the guardsman on watch at the main gate to go for his lunch hour before creeping out. It was so simple Ryou could've cried and Malik had to comfort him every couple of minutes, reassuring him that nobody was following them.

The original plan was to wait for Mel to come out of the base and join up with her to look for Yugi, but after two days tittering on the edges of the thick forest the base, Malik thought it best just to head into the main town themselves, convincing Ryou that they must have missed her somehow. A month of living rough on the streets made them both regret ever thinking of leaving.

* * *

Bakura hated churches. He hated the way all the stone statues seemed to watch him knowingly and he felt as if he had no privacy around them. He hated the forgiving and trusting atmosphere it held and he hated the amount of faith people held in such a simple stone structure. So why, I hear you ask, was he sitting on one of the uncomfortable wooden benches, clutching the small copper cross that had belonged to his mother like it was his only lifeline?

He honestly didn't know. As much as he hated to admit it, stepping foot onto holy ground every now and again gave him a small feeling of peace and belonging, even though afterwards it made him feel like a traitor and undeserving of any amount of comfort. He was a pirate after all.

Marik was currently hiding behind one of the many statues of saints, jumping out every so often and scaring any poor person unfortunate enough to be praying at the time. Ignoring him was easy. Ignoring the people around him wasn't. He watched a young boy and his mother pray side-by-side, seemingly content with themselves and felt a small pang of jealousy. He'd never had that sort of relationship with his mother. His father had died at sea, so his mother had had to work extra hard to keep a roof over their head.

He slowly closed his eyes, not fully relaxed, but eased enough to think properly. Blocking out Marik's joyful cackling at successfully scaring another person, he thought of his mother. She was a frail woman, constantly tired and thin. Although she mostly had no time for him, whenever she did she was always caring and kind. He'd mostly kept his memories of her happy, but he couldn't help but feel bitter every now and again. His hand unconsciously found the necklace hanging loosely from his neck and he thought about when he had gotten it.

Thirteen-year-old Bakura stood in the middle of the woods feeling very proud of himself. A wolf whilst hunting had cornered him and he had killed it! His mother would be overjoyed to know that they'd have something to keep them warm in the winter. Tying the dead wolf up, he hauled it up onto his back and ran back to his village.

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_As he got closer, he smelt burning. The smell was strong which caused him to worry. A small or even medium fire wouldn't cause this much smoke. Forgetting about the wolf, he charged through the haze coughing and stopped at the edge of the wood to take in his village. It was utterly destroyed and nobody but men in uniform could be seen. People lay on the ground dead or seriously wounded and it took him a minute to realize that these men were the one who had caused it all._

_Anger and fear boiled inside of him and he was set to charge in a murder these men with his bare hands when he heard a loud thud from his right. He crouched down behind some bushes and saw that it was a girl, who had been threw into the tree. A tall man followed and grabbed her collar, hauling her up. Bakura had first thought that she was a girl from the village that he hadn't seen before, but she surprised him by locking eyes for a few seconds and wriggling a little so he could see she had the same type of uniform on as the men roaming around the remains of his village. _

"_Stop moving girl!" the man spat, slapping her hard. Bakura winced at the harsh red mark it left. _

"_It was you wasn't it? You let him go! You stupid, stupid child!" he punched her repeatedly in the stomach for a few minutes, causing the girl to gasp for breath. Bakura's anger suddenly died down to make room for overwhelming fear. Who was this man?_

"_How could you betray me like that? You know what I'll do when we get home? DO YOU?!" the girl's eyes widened and she shook her head horrified, "yes I thought you might. You bring this all on yourself. It doesn't only affect you, but your whole family."_

_He punched her in the chest and she coughed up blood that splattered on his face. He looked absolutely disgusted and dropped her on the floor. _

"_I. Never. Want. Any. Of. Your. Worthless. Disgusting. Blood. On. Me. Ever. AGAIN!"_

_Every word was followed with a harsh kick to the side and Bakura could swear he heard a crunch somewhere along the line. Once he was done, the man left the girl clutching her stomach and walked off. Even though he was terrified, he couldn't defy the girl when she beckoned him over. She struggled to stand up and pulled two things out of her pocket. As he got closer he frowned trying to figure out what it was._

"_Are you 'Kura?" her voice was hoarse, but it still had a soft edge to it._

_Bakura nodded slowly, recognizing his mother's nickname for him. His eyes began to tear as he saw the small copper cross his mother always wore in the girl's hand. He picked it up gently, ignoring the other gold one. _

"_I'm so sorry…this other one is for you too," she stopped to cough blood up into her hand, "she told me it's been passed down for generations. Her death was quite quick; she wasn't in pain for long."_

_Bakura took it out of her hand and put it around his neck with the cross without looking at it properly. Looking around carefully the girl limped clutching her side a little deeper into the woods. He followed her slowly, with one last look at his destroyed village._

"_If you go a little deeper there's a cave. When you go in you'll find a man, tell him…tell him Harmony sent you. He'll help and look after you. Once again I'm so sorry. Now go, quickly."_

_Bakura felt so down and depressed and with every step he took his guilt rose a little more. He was spineless and weak. Why did he trust this girl? It didn't matter. Whatever it took, he'd make sure his mother's death wasn't for nothing. He'd avenge her and these men would pay for taking away the only family he had left._

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Bakura sighed and opened his eyes. That was the first time he'd met Katt. Since then, his anger had grown and so had he. Thinking back, it would have been so easy to take his anger out on her, a younger, weaker person, but he knew that he'd never be able to forgive himself if he had of done. He stood up quickly making his way towards the door hoping Marik would follow. He'd had enough of memory lane.

* * *

Malik had secured dinner for that night. Ryou still got hopelessly flustered whenever he 'borrowed' something, but Malik had a feeling he was slowly getting used to it. He cringed when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and turned round confidently, ready to face any stall keeper. Turned out that it wasn't the plump man he'd 'borrowed' bread off, but two stocky soldiers who were armed with both swords and guns.

"See I told you it wasn't them. But do you ever listen to me? No. You don't."

Malik glanced sideways at Ryou and grabbed his hand in a comforting gesture. The two guards stood bickering for a few more moments, before turning back to them.

"Look, their obviously in disguise! Who else around here looks like them? It's too much of a coincidence if you ask me. I say, we take them in for questioning."

"Do they look like pirates to you?! No, their just innocent kids, let them go Dartz."

"But Pegasus-"

"No buts!"

The two guards walked off, leaving both Malik and Ryou in a state of confusion. Pirates? Whatever would give anyone that impression?

It wasn't long before they were stopped again by a different set of guards. This pair weren't so understanding though, and Malik lost his temper when they started to hit on Ryou. This ended up in a heated argument and many people crowded round listening. One guard aimed a punch at his head and he ducked, causing the man to hit Ryou hard. He fell backwards, banging his head against the floor. Everyone held their breath and when Ryou didn't stir, Malik jumped at the guard nearest him. He was doing ok, but knew he wouldn't last long. Apparently, so did some of the crowd.

"What's goin' on here mates?"

Malik's line of view followed that of the guards and when he saw who had spoke, he gasped loudly. Standing in front of him was…Ryou? No, don't be ridiculous, he mentally chided himself. Ryou was still out cold, so he couldn't very well ask for his view on the matter. He was about to ask some questions when he saw _him_.

"What you doing 'Kura?"

Kura? That was Ryou's doubles name? Backing away slightly, he caught his eye and he openly gaped and pointed. Malik felt like copying him, but felt he had already made enough of a fool of himself in public for one day. The guards were looking confusedly from one pair to another and had yet to arrest anyone or raise an alarm.

"Kura…he looks like me!" A wide smile came over his face and he ran over inspecting everything about his look alike, "Well…I'm obviously the older one and the better looking. Oh! Look! It's a mini Kura!"

"Marik yer bloody idiot! Get back here!"

The outburst from the two people who had joined them seemed to snap the guards out of their stupor. They charged at Ryou's snowy haired look alike and attempted to dive on him, missing him when he took a step to the side. He stared at Malik and then at Ryou who was still lying dazed on the floor. Quickly, he made his way over to Malik and started to drag him out of the crowd and away from the guards. Marik followed closely behind with Ryou over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?! Who are you? Let go of me!"

Bakura carried on dragging the man behind him, ignoring his questions in favor of speeding up the pace, as yells could be heard behind them. Normally, whenever somebody got in trouble with the guards, he would ignore them and leave them to fend for themselves (unless it were children orphaned on the street of course) but when he saw whom it was, he immediately stepped into action.

At first, he thought it would be pretty funny to watch how these two people would deal with the problem. After all, they looked so innocent and so un-pirate-like that it amazed him how those idiot soldiers could get them mixed up. He paid particular attention to the snow angel behind blondie (as he had affectionately dubbed them) and found himself studying him from every angle. He probably would have been like that for a while; only he was knocked out by one of those wretched rats. That's when he decided to step in.

Malik was getting tired of all this dragging. He pulled back sharply on his wrist, but found the more darker looking Ryou had a strong grip on him. Bakura, who had been in a world of his own, felt the tugging and simply let go of blondie. Malik wasn't ready for the sudden change in weight and so he went flying backwards and straight into Marik. Marik also fell, crashing his head firstly against Ryou's and then against the floor. Malik jumped up and glared at Bakura.

Bakura smirked and quietly began to laugh. However it didn't last long as he too glared back when he realized Marik was also out of action. He was about to tell blondie what a moron he was, when gunshots were fired pretty close to where they were. Malik stiffened and glanced around like a mouse caught by a particularly large cat. Bakura rolled his eyes and made his way over to Malik.

"Stupid whelp," he growled.

Malik was about to retort when he saw 'Kura' picking up Ryou and swinging him over his shoulder, when more shots were fired. Bakura was half way down the street when he yelled back:

"Put on the cloak he's wearin' an' follow me!"

Grumbling, but only half-heartedly, Malik yanked the black cloak off his look alike and pulled it on, making sure to pull up the hood as 'Kura' had done. Surprisingly, Marik wasn't as heavy as he looked and Malik had caught up to 'Kura' quickly. He frowned when he realized that the man was taking them onto a ship. Not just any ship either. A pirate ship.

Scowling, Malik stopped and stubbornly stayed put. He wasn't going on any pirate ship. Bakura turned round to see Malik standing in the road. Confused he yelled:

"Hurry the hell up!"

More than two guards could be seen now and Bakura didn't feel like fighting. He stormed over to him and started to pull him in a way that demanded no complaints. Malik kicked out and shook his head fiercely. Anger slowly took up the confusion and Bakura swung round to glare at Malik. The guards had pretty much caught up to them and they were in the firing line.

"What's the matta' with ya? Can't ya see were in a bit o' a tight spot here?!"

"I'm not going on any pirate ship!"

A bullet soared past and hit one of the cargo boxes, causing coal and other substances to fall out. Bakura pulled Malik out of the way of another, before quickly having to push him away again out of reach.

"This ain't exactly the best time to be picky!"

Malik ignored him and hid behind some more cargo boxes, forgetting a moment about Ryou. Bakura knew a lost cause when he saw one and left Malik to his own devices. Taking out his own gun, he shot three guards with one bullet and gave a sarcastic bow to the rest. Malik watched as Bakura made his way to the ship before realizing he'd left Ryou in the care of that maniac and ran at full speed to pull him back again, dodging the bullets as best as he could. Just as he'd caught up, a bullet made it's way past them, grazing both their arms. A second later, both men were on the ship.

Bakura threw the small boy he'd been carrying on the floor, before casting off. Malik, who had about to protest about sailing away, started to protest against the rough way 'Kura' had treated Ryou.

"You can't just throw him on the floor like that! He's very delicate!"

"Delicate my ass! What type of stunt was that?! Do yer want us to get killed?!"

Malik started to feel angry. REALLY angry. He didn't know why, but something about this guy just got to him. It's probably because he's a pirate and the way he just threw Ry down like that, he told himself. Hoping to get some sort of reaction out of the pirate, he threw down Marik in the same way Ryou had been. Bakura looked at him blankly, not really caring about how hard the impact had been on the lugs thick head. He knew he was being stupid, but frustration got the better of him and he shoved the white-haired man hard, causing the hood on his cloak to fall down.

Bakura, not wanting to be out-done, shoved blondie just as hard as he had done him. It was then he heard gasps. Turning round swiftly, he saw Yami, Seto and two other people, one of them who looked strangely like Katt…

"Malik?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Mel? Jou?"

Bakura was guessing Jou was the dirty blonde on the side of Mel. A blink later and all three people were on the floor, laughing like it was the most hilarious thing they'd ever done. He stared disbelievingly at Malik. Wasn't this guy just about ready to kill him before? Shaking his head, he knelt down to inspect the snow angel he had thrown down before. Despite saying he didn't care, Bakura had actually regretted doing such a thing to such a delicate creature.

"YUGI?!" Malik screeched.

What was the matter with this boy? Did he have some sort of personality disorder? Bakura was about to give these people a piece of his mind when Seto came strolling down, with that icy demeanor of his. Everyone's head turned to him and once he was sure he had everybody's attention he simply said:

"Shut. Up."

Each person gave him their respected glare but nothing more was said. Malik strolled over and purposefully dragged Ryou out of Bakura's arms and moved back over to were his friends were. They mumbled quietly under their breaths but other than that, nothing more but the sounds of the waves and the seagulls could be heard.

* * *

Katt had watched Bakura as best she could from the rooftops. It was undoubtedly Bakura, because only he had that special ability to shoot down more than one guard with one bullet. Glancing behind her, she noticed Yugi looked frightened and confused. She couldn't say she blamed him.

They were still quite a way behind and in an effort to catch up she pulled Yugi down with her to the alleys that surrounded the courtyard houses. The gunshots and yells had died down and she mumbled a silent prayer to anyone willing to listen that Bakura was ok. Immediately she regretted it. Katt had stopped believing in any 'divine being' quite some time ago. After all what type of 'divine being would…

Never mind. There were more important things to wallow on. Like how those scurvy rats had set sail without her. The guards had already dispersed. They never were good at staying interested in one thing for more than a few minutes and had probably went to look for the nearest tavern the minute the ship had left port. She sighed and shook her head, letting go of Yugi's hand.

Yugi stared after the only ship sailing away to the horizon and assumed that that was the very ship Katt had planned on taking him on. The shaking of her head told him he was probably correct. Losing interest in Katt for the time being, Yugi decided to look around nervously, checking for any guards. He felt very…jumpy at the moment. Having not paid attention for the last five minutes, Yugi was only slightly surprised to find Katt had disappeared from his side.

Katt was currently making her way onto the nearest ship. It was pretty much deserted, so Katt felt no sympathy for them one she kicked one of the dinghy's off and into the ocean. If they didn't want things to go missing then they should be more prepared. Looking over her shoulder, she found Yugi was exactly were she had left him his eyes darting round nervously. She smiled at how child like he looked before going back to join him.

"Ready to go?"

Yugi jumped and turned round. Katt was standing there smiling and pointing towards the sea.

"Um…I guess? How are we going to catch up to them though?" his eyes were diverted to the small speck on the horizon.

Yugi watched as Katt's smile widened and couldn't help but wonder what her _real_ smiles looked like. Her eyes were blank as she smiled, as if she only ever did it because it was an everyday necessity. Shaking his head, he asked:

"Well?…"

"Being a pirate-an' a pretty damn good one if I do say so meself-I pride meself on being able to sail the seven seas. How else do ye think we'd be getting to 'em?"

It was then Yugi saw the small wooden boat floating a little way away from the dock and he coughed nervously. Katt watched the boy stare at the water eyes wide and frowned. Yugi felt her stare on him and turned round, not quite catching her eye.

"I um…I can't swim…"

Katt's frown slowly turned into a smile, which turned into a giggle, which eventually came out as a full-blown laugh. Yugi pouted and waited for her to finish before asking what was so funny.

"I'm a pirate lad, I told you that! Surely you knew you'd be spend'n quite a bit o' time on a _ship_ which sails on _water_?"

"Well, the fact still remains that I can't swim!" Yugi pouted even more, avoiding the other fact that he'd just been made a fool of.

"Never a better time to learn!"

And with that, Katt pushed him over the edge and down into the murky waters. He didn't get a chance to call out, as the water washed over and pressed down on him. In a desperate attempt to make it to the surface, he kicked his legs out and swung his arms out wildly, hoping to grab anything-or anyone. Preferably, the dark haired pirate that had pushed him in.

As luck would have it, Katt had dived in after Yugi hadn't floated to the top after two minutes of having pushed him in. The water had been too dark to see the small boy and just as she was about to dive back under, something caught her leg and pulled. Not being able to take a deep breath as she was pulled under quick, Katt panicked and kicked out hitting Yugi in the stomach and winding him. Feeling the softness under her feet, she turned round quickly and randomly grabbed for him.

Yugi who had fast run out of air, barely felt Katt's touches and thanked god when he was pulled up to that sweet surface. He went into a violent fit of coughing and half panted half glared at Katt, who smiled back sheepishly.

"Er…ahem…I see ya really can't swim!" she laughed nervously and dragged him through the water towards the small wooden boat. He scrambled in and glared at her. Silence fell over them quickly and Katt shrugged inwardly, picking up the oars, deciding they'd make it to their destination quicker if they didn't talk.

However, Yugi felt uncomfortable with the quite atmosphere around them. Looking around for a safe subject to talk about, he noticed the small tattoo on her wrist.

"So when did you get the tattoo?"

Katt glanced down at her wrist and glared. Yugi watched the dark look spread across her face and immediately regretted asking. She dragged a finger lightly across the line and the zigzagging band that went around her palm, before fiercely picking the oars back up and rowing faster and more viciously than before.

A little disheartened but not ready to give up, he tried again to converse with the silently seething pirate.

"Um…right. So what about your family? Where are they?"

Katt had to laugh at Yugi's choice of topics. He had chosen two of the darkest pieces of information that she was least likely to indulge. He cocked his head to the side, confused, and she stopped the harsh rowing. She had hoped that Yami had noticed he was down a crewmember and turn the ship back toward Domino, but obviously, she had no such luck. Sighing, she started rowing once again, but this time at a more calmer pace.

"What about your family? How come yer accepted to come along with me?"

Yugi hadn't failed to notice that she hadn't answered his question, but felt slightly triumphant for at least getting the pirate to say something. Katt was waiting patiently, silently wondering whether or not Yugi had had some sort of argument and had decided to come along on this little 'adventure' on an angry whim. Well he could swim back if that was the case.

"I live with my grandpa, but he died…" Yugi stared at the sky. What else could he say? "We lived in a very…enclosed space. Away from the actual town . My friends and I were orphans…when he died I got kicked out of the place were I had grown up. It was hard adjusting to 'normal' life. I miss my friends…I wonder if their all ok?" The last part was said more to himself than to Katt.

"Interesting. And I'm er…sorry about ya gramps."

He watched the clouds a little while longer before smiling softly at Katt. She raised her eyebrows and the corners of her mouth twitched up slightly.

"It's ok. He's in a better place now."

"A better place? I wonder, if there really is any 'better place' out there. It seems most of us spend our lives trying to find it or working towards it. How can anyone be assured that when all their deeds are laid out bare, that they will be forgiven and sent off to their own little paradise? Do you truly believe Yugi, that someone can make it to that 'better place'?"

They were both surprised at the statement Katt came out with. She had meant to say something along the lines of 'I'm sure he's doing just fine, wherever he is,' but for some reason, she came out with something she had only ever asked one person. And that other person could barely remember her own name.

"Yes." Yugi's answer was plain and simple and Katt silently thanked him for getting her out of her inner spat.

"I'm not normally this philosophical…" she laughed slightly and turned her face away from him. Yugi grinned.

"I can't help but notice, you haven't answered my earlier question."

Katt's answer took a long time to come out. Whereas she didn't trust Yugi, he looked innocent enough to tell a few minor details.

"I only lived with my family sometimes. Mostly, things were in the way such as…well I could say life, but he _was_ the life…" another laugh, but this one more bitter than the last. "I only ever had what most would call 'family' because their blood ran through my veins. I lived with me Mam, three cousins, aunt and uncle. But to me…I'm the only family I've got."

For a couple of moments he debated on whether or not to pry further and curiosity got the better of him.

"What about your father?"

A low growl formed in the back of her throat.

"He was murdered."

He gasped lightly and nodded apologizing. She nodded back and silence once again reined the air around them. Katt only spoke once more, but it was more 'thinking aloud' and Yugi didn't have the heart to question her.

"Sent whatever sanity me Mam had left down the drain it did. She always spoke about him. Always looking out at the sea, wondering when he was gonna come back. Broke me heart to see her like that."

Katt watched the back of her mother, trying her best not to think of the woman sitting in this dark room as a stranger. She knew she'd have to be quick. Everyone was forbidden to come and see her and if Katt was caught…

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

"_Mother?"_

_The woman turned away from the window and frowned at the tense girl standing in front of the room door. Then her face broke out into a smile and for a second, Katt felt her heart stop and her breathing quickened. Did she remember?…_

"_Are you here to tell me about my husband returning? I knew he'd come back someday."_

_Katt's flame of hope was quickly extinguished and as she shook her head, her mother's smile slowly disappeared from her face. Even though it was unfair, she couldn't help bit hate and envy her father. Hated him for dying, even though it was an un-escapable fate. Envied him, because her mother could only seem to remember him and only the memories of him could make her smile._

_She tried again._

"_Mother? It's your daughter, Harmony."_

"_I'm not your mother sweetheart. I'm sorry. But I will be soon!" she placed a delicate hand over her stomach, "Who knows, maybe I'll have a daughter and she'll grow up to be as beautiful as you!"_

_Katt nodded and forced the tears back. She turned her back on her mother and only heard one last thing before quietly shutting the door._

"_Jenks, where are you?"_

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

Remembering her mother was always a painful experience. Although she didn't remember most of the time, sometimes, a flicker of recognition would flash across her eyes. On exceptionally good days, they would talk and laugh together and her mother would tell her how proud she was of her. What would she think of her now, after all she'd done? They would sit and reminisce and her mother would tell her stories about how she and her father had met and telling her all her dreams for Katt when she grew older.

And those days were what hurt the most.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**This chappy dedicated to Arisa Akita-because I haven't forgotten you! **

**Just a quickie-for those of you who have just skipped straight to chapter 6, turn back because I've uploaded chapter 5 again so that EVERYTHING is there and it doesn't just randomly cut off at the end :grins:**

* * *

Yami, had in fact, noticed the loss of the only woman member of his crew

Yami, had in fact, noticed the loss of the only woman member of his crew. He decided to pull in at the next port, Tortuga, knowing that Katt would somehow meet up with them there. Sighing, he turned his back on the people onboard his beloved Millie and clasped his hands behind his back, looking out at the open blue.

"She's gonna kill us."

"Correction," came the irritable voice of Bakura, "She's gonna kill you, because _you're _the cap'n of the ship and _you're _the one who orders the crew to set sail. We just obey you like loyal crew members should do."

Yami turned and raised an eyebrow at Bakura. Bakura grinned.

"Nah, she knows you lot hardly ever obey me. And plus the fact that you're the one who hoisted the anchor, I think we all know whose fault this is mate. What d' ya want?"

Bakura shrugged unfazed and carried on his glaring match with Malik over Yami's shoulder, which proved difficult seeing as Marik was bugging the whelp to no end.

"Marik's awake." He informed his captain.

Yami nodded. That explained it. In fact, whenever anything happened and Marik was in the center of it, everything made sense. He knew Bakura was glaring at somebody and didn't bother to see who it was. The atmosphere on the ship was very tense and Yami wasn't too good with 'tense'.

After Seto had successfully shut everyone up, he asked to speak to Yami privately. Even though Bakura wasn't invited, he trotted over to the huddled group and listened in anyway. Seto had told Yami, but not before telling Bakura to keep his mouth shut, how that kid Jou had part of the Millennium puzzle. Bakura also told him that he noticed his small look-alike, Ryou, also had a piece. As if to put the icing on the cake, Yami told his two co-captains about noticing Mel's piece of the puzzle. They had all looked over to Malik who looked defensively back at them.

Long story short, they still hadn't found out if he too, had a piece of the Millennium puzzle. And even if he didn't, it was still a pretty productive day for the crew of the SS Millennium.

They were now a couple of steps closer to freeing the goddess Ariana. Being able to control the sea would be the ultimate treasure for any pirate. Being able to evade any military ships, being able to find buried treasure a lot easier and finding new islands. But ultimately, that one wish you were granted at setting Ariana free was the one thing Yami wanted. Granted anything his heart desired. He wanted that more than anything and was willing to fight his own crew for it.

Yami was secretly prince Atem of Egypt, but over the years he had grown fond of his pirate name. He had promised his country that he would free them from the evil grasp of his uncle and this wish was the way to do it. Seto, his cousin, also wanted rid of his father so it was two for one. Maybe, if they were lucky, they'd all be granted their own wishes because of joint efforts to free the sea goddess. Maybe.

Yami wasn't sure what his guests knew about their necklaces and knew he wasn't going to find out any time soon. Three of them were very defensive and did NOT want to be on any ship at all, let alone a pirate ship. Ryou, the smallest and weakest looking of the group, had actually tried to set up some sort of truce, but had failed miserably.

From what he could gather, Yami knew that these four people had grown up together and had some how been split apart for a while. It was as if fate had drawn these people to him, so he could finally complete his journey. Deep down, he knew he could never return to Egypt forever. He'd grown too attached to the freedom of the ocean that the palace life could never give him. Perhaps, after the victory ceremony, he could hand over the crown to Seto. He'd never really liked the pirate life anyway.

However, being a prince and captain of a ship didn't necessarily mean you were always right. Seto, after five years of sailing, had finally started to loosen up. It might not have shown on the outside, but on the inside, he was perfectly content. After Yami had completed his task, he was set to ask him whether he could captain the SS Millennium. He was 99.9 sure that the answer would be a yes. After all, why would he want to carry on living the life of an outlaw when he could be sitting in the luxury of the palace?

Firstly though, they'd have to gain the trust of the morons on board, which was proving to be a hard job. And he had a feeling it would be even harder once Katt was back.

* * *

They'd been in Tortuga two days when Katt finally showed up. All eight of them had been huddled up in a corner, ignoring all other people. It had been raining hard outside and thunder and lightening had started up. Conversation was nearly non-existent and the little jibes between Seto and Jou were few and far between. All in all, it had been a pretty dismal day. Bakura had tried, in vain, to get Ryou to drink like a pirate. Malik was now fiercely protecting him, also trying to protect himself from the ever-hyper Marik.

It was almost cliché when the door of the tavern they were in burst open, silencing everyone, the only noise being the echoing of the bell, that rung to inform the bar owner he had a new customer. The person standing in the doorway was soaking wet and as the figure took it's first steps into the building, lightening flashed behind it, making an eerie silhouette. The thunder made the shutting of the door seem much louder and some people could be seen shrinking back from the angry aura the figure possessed. The cloak that hung over the person protected its identity, but Yami, Bakura, Marik and Seto all had a good clue at who it was.

A couple minutes later, a smaller figure came through the door, also dripping wet and covered with a cloak, much too big for it. As the door closed for second time, low murmurs spread across the tables, quieting down again when the tallest of the two new comers started a menacing stalk towards the back of the room. When the figure stopped at Yami's table, all the crew of the SS Millennium and all the people in the room who knew them knew exactly who it was.

Katt banged her hands down on the table and her head shot up to reveal narrowed gray eyes. A couple of moments later Yugi followed, feeling uncomfortable with the amount of gazes on him. He was five minutes away from the table when Katt raised her hand to stop him. Not wanting to get caught up in whatever was going to happen next, he gladly stayed where he was.

"Hello lads." She started quietly and sarcastically. Yami and the rest of his co-captains gulped. That's right ladies and gentlemen, the almighty Yami, Bakura, Seto and even Marik, who didn't know what was going on around him at the best of times, _gulped. _As in the 'oh shit' type of gulp. Katt smirked and sat down at the small table, dragging Yami's bottle of rum over to her.

"Now, forgetting cargo, I can forgive. After all, we all do it at the best of times. Perhaps forgetting a random crewmember that doesn't mean much is also forgivable. However forgetting a trusted member of your crew, a _co-captain _even…do you think that's acceptable? WERE YOU TRYING TO GET RID OF ME?! Because it didn't work!"

All four people shook their heads quickly, not daring to open their mouths. The tavern was still quiet and all eyes were solely on them.

"I don't suppose yer would know what it's like havin' to _row all the way to Tortuga from Domino _would you? IN THE POURING RAIN!"

Not daring to move as she took a swig from the bottle, Katt found that at least half her job was done. Taking a deep breath, she started to talk to them in a semi-normal voice:

"Go get me a bottle of rum."

Marik bolted out of his seat, dragging a non-to-reluctant Malik behind him. Once Malik was out of the way, Bakura edged over to Ryou. Katt, who hadn't taken any notice to the extra people on board the table, did a double take when she saw two snowy haired men sitting side by side. Confused, she took one last look at the rum before looking at the two and then back to Marik.

"Didn' think I was that much of a lightweight…"

As Katt was contemplating whether or not another bottle of rum would help her mental state, she didn't realize the small gasp that came from behind her, or from her captain. Yugi, having lifted his gaze off the floor, had immediately connected with ruby eyes. He was held in a trance as those eyes traced every detail of his face and vice versa. The noise, which had started back up again after Katt had asked for rum, was just a mere buzz in the background. This man in front of him…was beautiful the right word? No…he was almost a double of himself, only more masculine and tanned and the most wonderful eyes that really set off his facial features!

Yami, who had never been one for poetic words, was suddenly comparing the lovely creature in front of him to all the breathtaking things he'd seen in his lifetime and found that nothing compared to the small boy with creamy skin and soft violet eyes. Wanting to get up and walk over to the innocent, angelic figure, he found himself unable to move, not wanting to break the spell they were both under. However, the next minute, both of them jerked their heads to the side when there was a loud clatter of chairs and another door banging.

Malik, who had recognized Yugi instantly from the blonde bangs that had escaped from his cloak, had bolted over to him in attempt at hugging him, but Jou got there before him. Unable to stop himself quick enough, he jumped on top of Jou, pulling Yugi's hood down in the process. The next minute, they were all on the floor laughing in pure joy of having being reunited once again. Ryou had crept over and was smiling brightly over Malik's shoulder.

Seto, who hadn't been paying much attention to what was going on, had noticed the mutt's absence at his side and frowned at the scene in front of him. It was a wonder that they hadn't been beaten up yet. Beside him, Yami and Bakura exchanged wary glances. What was it with these people and hugging and laughing? An unspoken question hung in the air between them and there was a silent agreement between them that they would find out the answer: Did this newcomer have a piece of the Millennium Puzzle?

Yami, having come out of his own little world, looked around for Katt, as the boy had entered with her. Frowning, he wondered where she'd gotten. How long had she been there? It had taken her all of five seconds to disappear again. Seto noticed him looking around and guessed at who he was looking for.

"She left with that other girl just a few moments ago. They went outside."

He nodded and got up from his place to follow her, making sure to send a dazzling smile over to the angel that had just been helped up by Marik's look-alike. Yugi blushed slightly and looked away and Seto rolled his eyes, getting back to drinking his beer and listening out for any important news around the tavern.

* * *

Mel's Pov:-

Well, this is just great. I'm running around aimlessly in a place I don't know, when I've only just be reunited with all my friends again. How did that happen anyway? Well it doesn't matter right now just so long as I get back to the right tavern in one piece. This port must be the main hotspots for pirates. It's filled with shady business dealers and brothels. Please God; make sure I end up back where I started somehow!

That girl sitting there…it's her. I just know it is. Looking into those gray eyes, which are as blank as ever, I could tell. When she first caught site of me, a look of faint recognition came over her, before it morphed into one of sadness. She must have been looking for something to confirm her suspicion and her eyes found the necklace, which she had made sure I had gotten before helping me get away. When she jerked her head away from me, I knew that any news she had would be bad. Not being able to take whatever it was, I bolted up from my seat, letting it fall and clatter behind me, before running towards the door.

And now I'm utterly and completely lost.

The rain isn't as heavy as it was previously and it's sort of soothing to listen to it. Perhaps I over reacted. Maybe it's not even who I thought it was and now everyone thinks I've gone crazy. I suppose now I'll just have to wait and see. Being on my own gives me a chance to think things over properly. If it _is_ who I think it is, the only bad news she could possibly give, would be about my mother. I study the moon carefully and wonder whether or not it would hurt if she told me something about her. I was young when I left her and only have a few memories left.

There's a small cough behind me and I turn round to find the girl I was originally running away from. She looks nervous and I take a small, inviting step towards her. I look round, searching for something to say and I can tell she's having similar problems. Turning back away from her, I lean against a nearby wall, leaving enough space for her to join me. Debating with herself for a few moments, she takes a few small steps towards me and takes up the space next to me. I take these minutes of silence to study her out the corner of my eye.

I can't see much from the head downwards, but that doesn't really matter. I've often thought that the face is the most interesting part of the body. Her hair is loose and curls around her face and I can make out beads that have been threaded onto a few wild bangs. In one ear, there are two silver hoops and in the other a circle with a line through the middle hangs, glinting menacingly in the moonlight. Starting on her cheek just below the middle of her eyes there are black dots and they stop just before her eyebrows, marking the start of a scar that travels down her cheek. All in all, she makes me look pretty plain. I know she can sense me staring and clearing her throat she starts to speak: her voice is rough but it has a calming edge to it.

"Melody, that you?"

I smiled at the small mistake she made.

"Melanie," I corrected. She smiled sheepishly at me before turning away again. So, this was the girl who helped me to get out of…was it my home? - All those years ago.

I rolled a few names around in my head before settling on one. Unsure at first, I decided to go for it.

"Harmony?"

She winced and turned away fully from me. Confused I placed a wary hand on her shoulder. She stiffened as I did, but for some reason it just felt right to keep it there. I felt more than saw her release a deep breath.

"I don't deserve tha' name. I'm not the person I was when I got given tha' name. It's Katt. Nothing else."

I nodded, although I didn't understand and for some reason I felt like something important had just passed through us and I felt the need to guard that piece of information carefully. Another cough broke the moment of trust. I let my hand drop from her shoulder and asked a question of my own.

"So…my mother…is she dead?"

There was silence for a long time and no emotion crossed her face. I assumed she was dead and was surprised at the small dull pain in my heart. What Katt said next surprised me.

"She might as well be."

The wind howled and the waves crashed together with the thunder. Clouds covered the moon and as soon as it was completely hidden, Katt grabbed my arm roughly and yanked me close to her. My eyes widened and I struggled to break free, but her grip was tight and something in her own eyes was pleading. With a quick look back at the moon, only to find it still covered, she pushed me into one of the many alleyways.

"Listen, what I'm about t' tell ya, ya probably won't want and probably won't believe, but it doesn't matter cuz in the end it'll happen anyway. See these necklaces?"

She pulled a necklace identical to mine out of the darkness of her cloak and it glowed a light green. She looked as surprised as me, but carried on when I nodded:

"Well every one of your friends an' people in my crew has got one of these. Each bit holds a piece of a powerful sea goddess's soul in and the person/people who free her get one wish and one wish only and are able to control the sea.. Anythin' their heart desires. A lot of people want these necklaces Melanie an' they'll do anythin' an' everythin' to get hold of one. Do you remember the man who was beating ya' mam up the day you ran away?"

I looked at her perplexed and just nodded in hopes that she would step away. If possible she stepped even closer.

"Well he's one of those people. I'm not really sure where he is now, but I know that he's building an army of people to overthrow parliament and the king, wanting to eventually 'rule the world' and he thinks by controlling the sea that he has a good head start. He's a maniac and performs all sorts of rituals thinking that-"

The moon had peaked back out of its foggy hiding space and cast a pale light back down on us, halting Katt with her words. Trying to egg her on a little, I opened my mouth, but she immediately covered it with her hand. There was a strange feeling of foreboding lingering in the air and even though I had to squint hard to see it, there was definite fear rooted in Katt's eyes. Suddenly, we were plunged into semi-darkness again and she rushed on, tumbling over her words and it was hard for me to keep up.

"Thinking that he can create some sort of new race and that he can punish all those against him. In a way it worked, but it scarred us for life. When you were 8 he practiced a ritual on you and it turned out horribly wrong. I don't know the ins and outs of it, but I do know you're kind of like me. You lost three years of memories. You're mother had the necklace you now wear because it was a family heirloom, when he found out about it…well her family never saw her again after she gave birth to you. He was trying to collect all the pieces that make up the Millennium Puzzle and my father, when he realized what was going on, tried to stop him. What I am, what you are and what truly happened will be revealed at another time, but remember your life's not your own after dark."

She was breathing heavily and I struggled to comprehend everything she had just told me. Surely this was the rambling of a mad person? The way she said it made me almost believe, because she seemed so intent on getting me to understand and now the moon was proudly showing in the sky once more, she tensed. There was only a few thin strands of cloud left to cover it, before clear sky could be seen all round.

"There will be a time when me and you will have to fight and possibly kill all the people on board the SS Millennium. We need to work together to overthrow him. I've been in that army Melanie, I was training to be his right-hand man, and I've been tested on and made into an emotional wreck. Fighting against him was the hardest thing I've ever and will ever do, I need you to be behind me, to get that one wish and get rid of him entirely. The moon-our scars are connected to the lunar power somehow-he can hear us he can see us. Be careful Melanie. I need you to help me complete my task. I really do need you."

Her eyes widened as she realized she didn't quite make that last sentence in time and she dropped to the floor, clutching her head tightly. No scream passed her lips, but her face was scrunched up in utter pain. Deciding this woman had obviously drunk whatever ship she had sailed on to get here dry, I crouched down beside her only slightly scared. Reaching out to once again put my hand on her shoulder, I retracted it quickly when an almighty scream sounded throughout my mind. I clutched my own head as the screaming went on in some language I couldn't understand and the wailings of a thousand souls left my ears bleeding. I opened my own mouth and let my own wail of pain join the ones in my mind. And then it stopped. Silence. Deadly, silence overtaking me.

I jumped up wide-eyed and backed away from the crumpled figure rocking on the ground. This was madness. My first thought was to get away from whatever this place was as fast as possible, but then I remembered my friends. I had to get them away. I turned on my heel and ran.

* * *

Yami had walked round the small port about two times when he had finally had enough. Where on earth was Katt hiding? Deciding to go for one more try, he once again started his trek through the nearest alleyway. He could feel his calmness slowly ebbing away and muttered angrily under his breath:

"Katt where the hell are ya?"

As soon as the words escaped his mouth, his necklace glowed a light green and a couple of alleys down to the right of him, two more shots of green light jumped into the air before disappearing. Yami jumped, surprised. The pieces of the Millennium Puzzle had never reacted to one another, or to Yami or any of his other crewmembers. Assuming the green lights _where_ from Katt and Mel's own necklaces. He was just about to reach the opening of the alley he had seen the light emerge from, when he heard a distressing scream. Worried, he charged forward, but then it stopped. Peering down the darkness of the alley, he didn't expect anyone to come running at full speed towards him.

He recognized the girl as she got closer to be Mel, but she didn't seem to see him as she carried on past him, breathing heavily. Creeping carefully down, he saw Katt on the floor, gently rocking and massaging her head. A small trickle of blood seeped through her fingers and Yami watched and waited for the moment to pass. He had only ever seen her like this once before and he knew what would happen if he touched her.

When he had first met Katt, he knew she was different. He couldn't explain the feeling he had when he was around her, but he had gradually got used to it. He was the only person on board the SS Millennium that knew of Katt's true identity. What she was and what she went through, sometimes on a daily basis. He knew that her uncle had tried to make her into a vampire, but the ritual had gone wrong, like so many had done. Vampire's were few and far between, but were very powerful creatures and it took a lot of persuasion to get a vampire on your side. If you could create one, you wouldn't have to go through all the trouble of keeping the vampire you had on your side happy.

But there were worse things than being a vampire. Katt was a Kasbah and whereas they weren't invincible, they could go on for years in pain. The only way to kill a Kasbah, was to hit them with a solid gold sword/spear/bullet in the spot where their 'mark' was and then with an ordinary weapon, that has tasted no other man's blood, hit them in a vital weak spot. Katt could sometimes still hear the screams and pleads of people who her uncle had killed and it hurt Yami to see her struggle to get peace in her mind. Every now and again, she would need blood to survive and he knew she had missed out on it for the last couple of years, so her defense was weakening.

Her uncle could control her if she got to emotional, but that wasn't a problem most times. Katt was a good actress, but Yami knew that there was a black hole where her heart used to be. She had seen too much too early and it would be hard to get those images out of her memory. She had started to shiver now and Yami knew that whatever it was she was going through was coming to an end. He knew he would have to persuade her to keep her energy up; he needed her to complete his journey.

Carefully, he placed a hand in his pocket and took out something small and shiny. He had gone to great lengths to get this and to hide it from everybody on his ship. He didn't even show Seto, whom he told all of his plans. Rolling it round on his palm, he soon felt guilty at the cold touch of the object. He quickly stuffed it back into his coat when Katt struggled to stand. Refusing his offer of help, she staggered down the alleyway and out into the open. He took out the object again and held it to the moon. Debating with himself whether or not to throw it away, he shook his head and reminded himself it was for the greater good of his country. He too, had a mad uncle, but he was right about one thing. He had a duty to his kingdom and if this was the way to do it, then he would. Sighing, he started to follow Katt.

One person however, had seen what the object was.

A golden bullet.

* * *

General Robinson sat at a large oak desk in the middle of a large, empty room. Many stains covered the floor and walls, but the main and obvious one was that of blood. He let out a long sigh. Only those that had been with him a long time would be able to tell he was happy. But it never lasted long. Anger was the main emotion present in his body almost all the time and he seemed to enjoy all the adrenaline it gave him. He opened his eyes and stared at the door with cold green eyes.

In front of him, sitting so innocently for something so evil, was a silver necklace with a crescent moon hanging off. The moon was encrusted with moonstones and a sword was plunged through the middle, from top to bottom. Each small stone that covered the moon stood for one life. Whenever he felt like, he could get rid of a stone and in turn get rid of some imbecile who wasn't doing his job right. In turn, he could bring back a soul of those he had killed; by extracting them from the alternative dimension he had had his minions create. The transaction was painful, but what was life without a bit of pain?

There was a knock on the door and it echoed throughout the room. Robinson stared at it for a good five minutes before saying in a deep, silky voice:

"Come in."

Another, tired, pale man entered the room. His black hair hung just below his ears with jagged ends and a thick black line went around both of his eyes. Two scars ran down one cheek, the one nearest to his nose longer than the other and three black dots ran from the end of each eye, to just underneath his iris. His long, dark blue coat hung loosely on him, the gold that once lined it now dull and dirty. On top his head was a black hat and a silver earring, a circle with a small 'J' inside, hung from his right ear.

Robinson smirked and ran his finger smoothly and slowly around the moon as he walked closer. The man kept his bright blue eyes firmly rooted on green, refusing to give into the temptation to look down. As he reached the desk, he debated with himself inwardly for a couple of moments before giving a small, unwilling bow.

"Ah, _Captain_, so nice of you to join me," The General said with a sarcastic smile.

Gritting his teeth, the man took off his black hat and threw it on the desk. Robinson's eyes narrowed, but his smirk was kept firmly in place. He picked up the hat and twirled it round in his hands menacingly, before speaking:

"I wonder, how much does this Captain's hat mean to you? You're crew? You're ship? For a pirate, I suspect it must mean everything."

Trying his best to stay calm, the man didn't answer.

The General carried on talking, getting up and clasping his hands behind his back to stare at the dirty wall behind him.

"I'm sure Captain, there must be something that appeals more to you that just a lousy hat? Surely, material items don't attract _all_ your attention? Perhaps they do. Isn't that what a pirate does? Search the open sea for all things that glitter. But all that glitters isn't gold, wouldn't you agree?"

Turning around to find the man with a fixed jaw, he was only slightly disappointed. He was a hard one to break, but every man had a price.

"Pirates don't weigh their hearts down do they? Never stay with the same woman-or man-for too long. Always one foot on shore and the other in sea, ready to up and leave whenever the salty air calls to them. Sometimes though, things are left behind…aren't they?"

The man swallowed hard and turned away, his smooth skin paling even under the dim light the room provided. Memories swirled round in his head, but he still refused to open his mouth, for fear that he would give away more things for this evil creature to work upon. The moment he stepped through the door he knew who would win the silent battle. If he could keep whatever it was the 'General' wanted to a minimum this way, then mute would be the way he remained.

"Ah I see you _do_ know. I'm offering you a deal, Captain. I'm sure you'll find your _prizes_ very rewarding. Don't look so surprised; I can be a very generous man when I want to be."

Heart beating faster, the Captain shuffled closer to the desk and placed his hands firmly upon it. Was he offering what he thought he was offering? As he leaned over his many necklaces clunked together, but there was only one green eyes looked for when they fell out of the Captain's coat. The heart shaped locket, with a single ruby in the middle. It played two soft melodies when opened, but both where in perfect harmony.

"Love is a powerful emotion, isn't it? I can give you the lives of the two people you love the most back, if you do something in return for me."

Out of his pocket, he pulled a small creamy sphere. Under his breath, he muttered a few words and two images appeared. On the left was an innocent looking girl, with big blue-ish eyes and dark wavy hair and on the right was a similar girl, but she looked more worn. His eyes lingered on the girl to the left, but occasionally strayed to the image on the right, as if weighing both girls up. The General stood in front of them and pushed the Captain back.

"I'm sure you've established by now that the girl on the left is your daughter. You see that girl on the right? I want her killed. It's a simple job, one that I'm sure you've done many times."

"Why do both girls look so similar?"

"It could be a mere coincidence, but the girl on the right is a Kasbah and you know that when they have been feeding of a certain victim for a certain length of time they sometimes take on that form. She is a recent crewmember of one Yami Moto. I know what your thinking-but no this isn't a trick. I have no time for them. Your daughter had been tricked into leaving Moto's crew when she fell in love with the Kasbah and when the Kasbah had taken over most of her form she returned to 're-join' the crew. So what do you say?"

The Captain stared at the floor. The lies hung in the air like flies around shit, but you could never be too sure when he was lying or not. Deciding to take a gamble, he stuck with the explanation that he had been given and that for once, the General was telling the truth.

"Why can't you take care of it yourself?"

Of course, he was referring to the necklace.

"You know there's only one way to kill a Kasbah. Sure, you can control them in some ways, but they live through almost anything. Here, three golden bullets. Her mark is on her right hand. You can take your daughter when you get her."

"I haven't agreed to the deal yet."

He clapped his hands and two blank-eyed soldiers carried an unconscious woman into the room. The Captain stiffened and stared at her.

"What have you done to her?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Lets not forget who left her here."

The General placed the bullets delicately in his hand, eyes sparkling with mirth. The Captain nodded and let out a sigh. Turning towards the door, he only allowed one small sympathetic look towards the woman he once knew as his wife. If this were the way to get her out of this place, then he'd do it.

"One more question…_sir_"

"What is it?"

Bringing up the image of the more tired looking girl on the right to the forefront of his mind the Captain asked:

"Why do you want her killed?"

* * *

The question hung heavily in the air and the Captain was left without an answer.

Ryou felt brilliant. In fact, he felt on top of the world. Like no one and nothing could possibly harm him.

Except maybe standing up quickly and finding the room suddenly spinning. His stomach took a turn for the worse and he threw up all over the already dirty floor. Just as he felt like he was going to pass out, a pair of strong arms encircled him and held him up. He squinted up and saw the blurry face of a smirking Bakura. He remembered vaguely Bakura offering to help him 'drink like a pirate'. He had politely declined and asked for water, but it seemed Bakura had slipped him a few sneaky drinks here and there.

"Uuugh…head…sore…"

He buried his head into Bakura's shoulder to block out the light and to try and block out some of the rowdy behavior around him. Ryou had never been one for cursing, but he was suddenly calling his look-alike for everything he knew. He would never be drinking again if this were the after effect.

"Don't worry, we'll get yer trained up an' then yer head won't be feelin' so bad"

There were a couple of things Ryou wanted to say, but pushed them aside in favor of letting himself drift away in the warmth of Bakura's arms. Somewhere behind him, he could hear the indignant yells of Marik, Yugi's pleads to keep things civil and Seto and Jou's petty name calling. Seto's 'Mutt' was usually followed by a very dog like growl coming from Jou and the reply of 'Moneybags' due to the fact that Seto carried small bags of coins on his belt. For some reason, Ryou suddenly found this very funny, and small giggles started to come out of his mouth.

This went unnoticed by everyone but Bakura, who also suddenly found it funny. People around them left them to their sniggering and got on with their business. Ryou, who had started laughing harder when he had heard rumbles of laughter coming from Bakura, suddenly found every little thing hilarious. Like the fact emerald green eyes kept getting closer and he was being tilted backwards.

"What's so funny snowy?"

Ryou snorted and his eyes creased with more laughter, which Bakura found absolutely adorable.

"I don't know powder puff."

"Powder puff eh?"

Just as he was about to burst with another fit of giggles, he found rough lips gently placed on top of his own. Feeling brave from all the drink he had consumed, he kissed softly back. It was actually quite a nice feeling. The taste, however, was disgusting. Alcohol mingled with the remains of vomit in his mouth and he found himself gagging. Just as he was going to pull away, somebody else ragged him off and pulled him closer to them self. It was Malik.

"Leave him alone you good for nothing scumbag!"

Bakura spat, shrugged and winked at Ryou before walking off to try and cause more trouble between Seto and Jou. Marik jumped behind Malik and started to poke him. It was hard trying to recollect ones thoughts with a drunk in your arms and a psycho poking you in the back. Yugi crept over and tapped Marik on the shoulder, making sure to remember to get some sort of compensation off Malik later on. He turned round, saw Yugi and chirped out:

"Mini Yami!"

Marik poked at his spiky hair fascinated and smiled down at him whenever their gazes crossed. Yugi, who already felt uncomfortable, resorted to asking the question he least wanted to ask.

"Erm…Marik? Would you like a drink?"

Giving him no answer, Marik bounded happily over to the bar and Yugi slowly followed. Malik mouthed a quick 'thanks' and turned to Ryou, who had passed out on his shoulder. Shaking his head, he decided to take him outside to get a bit of fresh air. He wasn't sure what exactly was in all those glasses that Bakura had brought him, but from the multi-colored sick he had spewed out, it was obviously a lot of different substances. Leading him towards the door, Malik passed Seto, Jou and Bakura in a glaring match. Or in Bakura's case, smirking at whichever of the two men cast his glare over to him at the particular moment.

"If I didn' know any better, I'd say you'd taken quite a fancy t' old Joey here."

"Shut up Bakura."

"Well Jou, Seto has always wanted a dog. One with big brown eyes an' a soft golden coat."

"Bakura I'll cut your tongue out and make you eat it if you don't piss off!"

"Oooh Seto's gettin' touché!"

As they made it outside, Malik lowered Ryou onto the floor and took a deep breath of salty air. He tried his best to block out the background noise coming from the Tavern, but it seemed almost impossible to do so. Refusing to leave Ryou alone, he picked him up and half carried half dragged him to a more peaceful place. He only got to the corner of the street when he set him back down again and closed his own eyes to calm himself down.

There were a lot of things that needed to be talked about tomorrow morning and he had a feeling most people wouldn't be willing to participate. The main questions where; how had they all managed to meet up together? He was assuming it was just very good luck, but he was hoping they could all talk about it in detail tomorrow. Then there was the question of Anzu, the base and Sugurokou. Why had Anzu thrown them out? And what had happened to Suguroku's body and will? Also, he wanted to make a plan to get away from these pirates. He didn't like them at all.

He jumped a little when he felt somebody violently shaking him. Looking up quickly, he saw the furious face of Mel and frowned questioningly at her. She shook her head and nodded towards Ryou.

"Drunk."

She raised her eyebrows a little, but the anger was still so very obvious in her face. He got up and took one side of Ryou whilst Mel took the other. He was heading back to the Tavern but she pulled him towards the docks.

"I don't want to go back in there. I just want to go to bed. Hopefully I'll wake up and this will be a bad dream."

He nodded slowly and followed her, hoping that they would make it to the right ship in one piece.

* * *

Katt had run the best she could to catch up with Mel. She needed to show her she was being serious about what had just passed between the two and not go blabbing about how Katt was crazy and was talking about murdering everyone. She had taken the alleys she knew all to well to catch up quickly with her and once again cornered her. It was obvious the girl was scared and she had backed up against the wall to be as far away as possible from Katt.

Using a dagger, she cut her left hand and let the blood drip down and around the scar or her right hand before clasping Mel's left hand with it. A smaller zigzagged scar appeared on Mel's left hand, starting just before her vein and stopping just as it reached her palm. Katt passed images between them of burning villages, dead bodies piled high, blood stained walls and the wails of men, women and children. It probably wasn't fair to frighten her even more, but Katt was willing to do anything to get rid of her 'uncle'.

"Keep this to yourself Melanie. Help me. Please. I won't be so kind if you start spreading this round to your little group."

She had nodded vigorously and with wide eyes before running off again. Yami had caught up just as another wave of nausea hit her and he caught her just before she could fall to the floor. Biting her lip hard so that it drew blood, she took a few shaky breaths before clearing her mind.

Most days she couldn't bear Yami. She couldn't bear those pitying stares that he gave her. He helped prop her up and stared at her, silently asking 'are you ok?' Katt nodded, even though she felt as if she was about to violently throw up and her head felt like mush. Standing up straight, she walked away in the direction of the docks, hoping to get peaceful nights sleep. Yami watched her go and hoped the pain would stop for her soon.

* * *

Seto awoke the following morning feeling nice and warm, if not a little squashed. Groaning, he turned over onto his side and found that something was tickling his nose. Opening his eyes slightly, he saw a mass of blonde hair and hazy brown eyes. Frowning, he closed his eyes again and turned onto his other side, figuring it was still too early in the morning to process anything. But…there was only one person who had those eyes…

Jou, on the other hand, snapped his eyes open and stared at the back of the ice king. When he had felt someone breathing on the back of his neck, he had opened his eyes only slightly and found cold blue eyes staring back. There was only one person who had those eyes. Seto. Why the hell were he and Seto sharing a _hammock_ of all things?

The memories of the previous night came flooding back to both parties and simultaneously, both men sat upright, which sent the hammock into overdrive. With a 'MEEP!' coming from Jou and a 'ARGHH!' coming from Seto, they both fell out of the hammock and Jou landed on top of Seto. Blushing slightly, he grinned at the stiff man underneath him and trying to lighten the mood and lift some of the tension he nervously rushed out:

"Were gonna' have to stop meeting like this."

Scrambling up, still grinning, he ran out of the door and onto deck. Seto, after a couple more seconds of lying on the floor, promptly hit himself in the head. As he sat up, pain shot through his back and he was sure that it was more to do with the episode last night than only just falling out of the damned hammock. Yami always did prefer 'Good piratey hammocks' compared to 'Landlubbers comfy beds.' Despite some things, Yami was quite a good Captain…in a totally unpredictable and weird way. Not that he'd ever admit it.

But trailing away from the matter at hand didn't make Seto's sore back go away; and to make it worse, now his ass was sore-not to mention his pride. He couldn't believe Jou had come out top in all of this-he was a pirate for Christ's sake! He wasn't even that drunk, so losing that fight was inexcusable. Damn. Getting up off the floor, Seto limped outside to follow Jou.

He supposed he'd have to find some way of thanking the Mutt for saving him from that gang of violent drunks last night.

* * *

**And there you have it. Everyone finally meets each other. Theres even a little RyouxBakura in there too! :phew!: I hope your all satisfied. Hopefully you all appreciate my attempt at humor near the end there. **

**Mel: :sniggers: Even I was slightly suprised. Didn't think she had a funny bone in her.**

**Cat: :face fault:**

**Also, theres a subtle move in the plot. I wonder if any of you guessed it... **

**Hopefully I'll get working on another chapter soon. Until then buh-bye!**


	7. Chapter 7

:Waves: Hey everyone we're back!

I'm hoping to have regular updates from now on, but don't get your hopes up I'm afraid. I haven't forgotten about this story I promise! Mel's been on my back too much for me to do that.

**Mel: **:Nods: I shall be working her like a pack horse! :grin:

Anyway, here's another chapter!

* * *

Yami was in, what one could say, a bit of a tight spot

Yami was in, what one could say, a bit of a tight spot.

'_Buggeration.'_

Marik was for some reason, looking quite smug about all this. Whenever any of the guest's backs were turned, he would make some obscene gesture or pull tongues at either him, Bakura, Katt or Seto. Yami didn't know if this was because, using his 'Marik-y powers' he could sense how uncomfortable they all felt and wanted to make fun of them, or if he simply just didn't know what the hell was going on. Watching as he pranced up to Malik and flicked him on the ear before running away giggling, he was willing to place his bet on the second option.

Malik turned around, glaring at his look-alike before making a move to run after him. Yugi, noticing the start of a fight, took it upon himself to place a tentative hand on his shoulder and smiled sweetly up at him, saying something that Yami couldn't quite hear. Whatever it was it seemed to have worked, as Malik calmed down considerably and both he and the wide-eyed angel (he couldn't possibly be one hundred percent human Yami had decided) watched an interesting argument between Seto and Jou. He hadn't paid too much attention to the duo, as arguing was part of their daily routine, but his ears did perk up at the sound of 'sore ass', 'Back' and 'drunk'.

Then again, perhaps he _reaaaally _didn't want to know.

However, getting back to the situation at hand: Yugi.

The SS Millennium's crew and her new acquaintances had been sailing on the wide-open ocean for around a month now. Their destination was originally to head back over to England, as they had heard that a certain somebody was currently living there, but had a change of plans half way and had to turn to ship around to sail towards Hanakai Mountains, more commonly known as 'The shadow caves'. Yami had thought that things had settled down quite well, everyone had settled into their new routines and had even had a civilized conversation at least once. But, as well all know, good things don't last long and the ships almost-neutral balance had been tipped.

Perhaps it was because he was a pirate that the big guy upstairs had decided to put just that little bit more extra pressure on him or maybe this was fate's fault. In which case he'd need to have a long, long chat with her.

Anyway, it had all started earlier that morning; Yami had enjoyed a peaceful walk around his ship, watching the sun rise before Yugi had timidly joined him. They exchanged pleasantries before resting against the ships railings and looking up at the sky in comfortable silence. It didn't last long though, as Jou soon scrambled out of the main sleeping area, his top not sitting properly on him and his pants in the process of being pulled up. Both Yami and Yugi's eyes had followed him, simply staring curiously, but never saying a word. Then, Marik ran out cackling like a witch with Malik close behind him, throwing what looked like sea charts and shoes at him. Ryou poked his snowy head out next; a concerned look crossing his face before Bakura happily strolled out onto the deck, taking him with him by the waist. Malik, having given up on stomping out the annoying pest known as Marik, had simply taken to standing with his arms crossed staring out at the sea.

Both Yami and Yugi stayed mute, watching as the day unfolded. Seto came out of the sleeping quarters next, neat and clean as always, barely acknowledging anyone and made his way over to Jou. There was a tension filled silence before they both started to talk to each other in hushed words. There was a collective raise of eyebrows before the attention was drawn away from the pair. Katt's head and arms appeared over the side of the crow's nest, her hair messier than ever, before standing up and stretching. She turned round and looked down at something before pointing and laughing. Mel was the last to appear, laughing in an extremely sarcastic manner with Katt before pushing her over the edge. Usually, something like that wouldn't have affected her, but it was early and she was unprepared for the attack-so down she went. There was barely enough time for her to scream before she hit the deck, flat on her face.

Yugi and Yami exchanged wary glances before bursting out into laughter. The rest of the ship soon followed suit, even Seto cracking a grin. When Mel had made it down from her sleeping place, Katt had threatened her with her fist before slowly getting up. After everyone had calmed down, Malik beckoned Yugi over and the rest of their little gang seemed to understand that something was going on, so they too joined the party. They stood in a circle, discussing something in hushed tones. Yami, Seto, Bakura, Marik and Katt, all unsure about what was happening, formed their own little semi-circle and assumed defensive positions.

It wasn't long before Yugi's group also formed a semi-circle facing them. Both Malik and Mel seemed angry about something and had their arms crossed, whilst Jou looked fairly comfortable standing with his hands in his pockets. Yugi and Ryou exchanged knowing looks before nodding. It was almost like a scene out of west side story.

'_Wait a minute…what's west side story? Get a grip of yourself Yami!'_

"Um…well, as you know we've been together for a few weeks now and we think it's time that we open up a little more about ourselves…"

Yugi blushed in embarrassment as both Malik and Mel mumbled their disagreements and Yami raised an eyebrow at him. He cleared his throat before carrying on:

"We don't want you to get the wrong idea about us…"

"Because you're all truly wonderful chaps!" Ryou added. Surprisingly, there was no comment from Katt about being a woman. When Ryou apologized, she simply shrugged and told him she was used to it.

"Yeah, what Ryou said…but we think it's only fair that you should know about our background. You see, we didn't really grow up in a 'normal community', but a military base. We're not exactly sure why, but I think it had something to do with my Grandpa being the Navy Captain. Anyway, it doesn't matter now, he sadly died due to-"

Yugi never got to finish what he was going to say, as Mel butted in:

"Dirty rotten pirates. He got a fatal stab wound and died."

"That's why we weren't all that keen on boarding a pirate ship." Malik finished for her.

"Guys!" Yugi said exasperatedly, "I don't want you worrying about the Navy or anything, seeing as _Lady _Anzu, the armada captains daughter, kicked us all out with no place else to go and they are as much our enemy now as they are yours. Anyway, we may not be able to be much help, but we are willing to try! I'm just really thankful that we're all back together and you've given us something…well…stable I guess." Yugi smiled and Yami felt his heart soar.

"Listen, I'm willing to try an' get along with you all, but I can never forgive the pirate who took out ol' gramps," Jou told them grimly, the rest of his friends nodded in agreement.

His heart now plummeting back down to reality, Yami swallowed hard and looked at his crew. The atmosphere was tense as Yami asked his next question:

"What pirate would that be?"

Each person held his or her breath, suspense lingering in the air taking up oxygen. They all looked thoughtful, even Malik and Mel changing stances in order to try and remember the name of the pirate.

"Yumi Motu I think it was," Yugi finally said, "My Gramps had been obsessed with trying to catch him and his crew. He had finally caught them and they were due to hang but escaped."

And here was were the tight spot begun. Yami knew almost all the pirate captain's that sailed the sea, the exceptions being the ones that had only just recently started out, and he knew that there was nobody called Yumi Motu commanding a ship at the moment. There was an awful feeling of dread as he realized how close that name was to his own: Yami Moto. The icing on the cake was knowing that just two months back, he'd been the one preparing to hang and he had probably killed a fair few men in order to get away. Staring hard at Yugi, he realized he saw some resemblance between the old man that had accompanied Anzu and the sweet boy before him.

"That bitch! Anzu threw you out?"

Katt's voice brought him out of his trance.

'_Ah yes. How could I forget about Anzu?'_

The urge was there to yell 'THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!' and Yami felt utterly useless. He needed these people in order to complete his journey and he had hoped that he could win little Yugi over and take him as his own. He sighed. Life was complicated at times.

They would have to be careful around Yugi and his friends now. Captain Yumi Motu would have to become a real person. The only thing Yami couldn't guarantee to himself was Anzu. When would the witch show up? He'd have to find a way of keeping her quiet. Even if that meant sacrificing whatever sanity he had left.

An awkward silence settled over the ship and Yugi had started to become restless. Was it a good idea to come clean about all of this? What if they locked them up? What if they were thrown overboard? He couldn't swim! What if…what if…what if…?

"Don't worry about it," Yami heard himself say, half expecting a negative reaction from his crew, but none came.

As a visible wave a relief washed over Yugi's face, Yami realized it was going to be one heck of a long day.

* * *

They reached the shadow caves around about midnight. The moon cast an eerie silver glow on the mountains, making the sharpness of them more prominent. They had steered off onto a narrow river some time back, but now it seemed to become even narrower, the mountains trapping them in a dark and dangerous dungeon. Yami peered carefully into the darkness, determined to come out of this alive.

Yugi and Jou had fallen asleep some time back, curled together in a ball. Mel had also fallen asleep, were she had then fallen and snuggled into Katt's lap. Katt had been overly embarrassed at this, but made no motion to move the girl to another spot. Malik had been keeping a sharp eye on Ryou from the crow's nest, but Marik soon took up his attention by poking him. The white-haired boy in question was currently the only one of his friends awake and was watching Bakura go about his business quite happily.

The calmness of the ship, which had been quite hard to restore due to the fact that everyone was on tenterhooks after Yugi's little revelation, was soon disturbed as the Millennium hit something. The whole ship rocked violently, throwing those standing up to the ground and waking those who were sleeping. Yami stood up and looked out towards the end of the cave they were currently in, but found that if anything, the path before them was just becoming darker.

"Yami?" Seto questioned.

As soon as he spoke, Seto felt something grab his wrist and squeeze and sharply turned to look at the offender. Jou was wide-eyed and breathing heavily, as if unsure of where he was. Quickly, he snatched his wrist away from Jou and crossed his arms, scowling down at the blurry image below him.

"Scared of the dark mutt? And here's me thinking you were a big boy now."

Jou felt himself blush and stood up, randomly pushing at air whilst denying Seto's statement:

"N-no of course I'm not you arrogant ass. I was just surprised that's all!"

"Shut up the both of you!" Bakura warned and cautiously made his way over to where he thought his captain might be, "You think you know where _he_ is Yami?"

Yami nodded, although he knew no one could see him, and made his way over to the wooden boats strapped to the side of the ship. There was just enough room for the boat to safely drop into the murky river without being damaged. He untied the rope and threw it into the dinghy before pushing it off the little ledge it was tittering on the edge of. It landed with a loud splash and he turned to address his crew.

"Ok, Bakura, Seto, Katt! You're all coming with me. The rest of you, stay here with Marik. I know you all think he's crazy but he'll protect you I can promise you that."

There was an immediate uproar as questions and statements were fired his way.

"There is no way I'm staying here with _him!_"

"I want to come!"

"Why can't we come? We're not useless!"

"Who is this 'he' your talking about? I'm sure he's not that bad!"

"…Big brother is a show will one day brainwash an entire society and make them totally addicted to the crap they continue to show."

Everyone turned to where Marik's voice had just come from.

"That must be the biggest load of shit you've ever come out with."

Yami sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Look, I can't leave the Millennium here unmanned. Anybody could come through and raid it or try and pull it back out the caves and steal it. And I don't want to take the risk of endangering you lot ok? Marik is more than capable of holding his own and will protect you if anything goes wrong. C'mon lads and lass, we've got a job to do."

"Well, how about only two people stay here?" Yugi's voice echoed questioningly, "And the rest of us go with you? Surely it's even more dangerous just the four of you carrying on down there on your own."

A murmur of agreement was heard and once again Yami felt…well useless. What sort of crew didn't obey their captain?! Then again, he didn't really want to leave Yugi on his own here.

"Ok we'll play a game to see whose coming and whose staying. Everybody hide and in ten seconds, Marik will come looking for us. Whoever he finds first will have to stay behind with him. Clear?"

Once again a collective murmur of agreement ran through the ship before suddenly it was thrown into chaos. Marik started to count loudly as everyone tried to find his or hers respected hiding place. There were a few more sounds of people bumping into each other and a few angry mumbles before finally the ship was quiet.

"…Nine, ten! Ok here I come!"

Everyone held his or her breath as Marik sniffed the air thoughtfully. He stood for a few moments contemplating something, before cheerfully bouncing over to the wooden craters that stood stacked at the back of the ship. He wriggled behind them before triumphantly pulling out a sniveling Malik.

"It's not fair!"

"Sorry Malik, rules are rules. You've gotta stay behind with Marik."

Malik continued to snivel in self-pity as everyone patted him on the back before jumping down into the little boat. It was a tight fit, but everyone managed to successfully squeeze in. As they rowed away from the Millennium, it took a while for Malik's bawling to stop.

* * *

'_So much for him being able to protect us.'_

Malik thought stubbornly as he watched Marik sleeping soundly in a ball at his feet. Surprisingly, instead of looking peaceful whilst he slept, Marik's face seemed to adopt a more serious look. It interested Malik a great deal, as the only side of his look-alike he'd ever seen was the wacky, annoying one. Marik whimpered a little as the heat Malik's legs had been providing him vanished, but soon snuggled back down into his lap. Malik tentatively played with a few of the older mans bangs before sighing.

"You don't really hate Marik do you?"

Malik jumped a little at hearing Marik's voice. Frowning, he pushed Marik out of his lap.

"When have I ever said I hated you? You just annoy me with your childish antics that's all."

Marik blinked his lilac eyes owlishly up at Malik and grinned. Malik responded by crossing his arms over his chest defensively, unsure what to expect from the pirate next. Marik threw his arms round Malik and dragged him down. They rolled around for a bit giggling before finally, Marik pinned Malik down and snuggled into his chest.

"Marik likes you."

Carefully, Malik returned to gesture and wrapped his arms around Marik.

"I think I kinda like you too," he smiled.

* * *

When Malik's bawling could no longer be heard, everyone who had been lucky enough to get away wasn't sure whether to be relieved or scared. The caves suddenly became eerily quiet and Yami noticed the obvious fidgeting and nervousness his little group was in. Perhaps this had been a bad idea? He never had a chance to think it over though as they floated into a big open space, torches illuminating the rocky, gray walls that surrounded them. There was a chance for them to get out of the little boat and explore the caves on foot, but it seemed there was a mutual unwillingness to do so.

"Yami? Who is it we're looking for exactly?" Yugi was the first one to speak, his voice echoing in the large space they were in.

"No one special," Bakura answered for him.

Yugi looked putout and Yami was about to tell him the truth, but then a child's voice interrupted him; it was slow and melodic, singing what sounded like a lullaby in some foreign language. It filled the room like sweet scents; ensnaring the senses and making all that heard it feel heavy and sleepy. It seemed to affect Yugi and Ryou the most as they almost immediately fell asleep, quite content to snuggle up to the nearest thing to them. Confused, Yami turned to look at his crew. Any other day he would have been perfectly happy for Yugi to be this close, but his danger button was flashing faster than Jou could eat and looking around, it seemed everyone else agreed.

"What a lovely voice…" Mel yawned and rubbed her eyes; "I could listen to it forever…"

"Don't you dare go to sleep," Yami and Katt said at the same time, whilst Bakura and Jou tried to wake the two others in their group.

Silver mist settled around them and the voice turned into whispers. Seto pulled his sword out of its sheath and Yami, Katt and Bakura followed suit. Jou and Mel kept Yugi and Ryou close to them as the water started to stir, rocking the boat and pushing it towards the cliffy pathways. All of a sudden, hands shot up out of the water, some of them skeleton like and started to make their way towards the group. They attacked every part of the boat that they possibly could, groping around and snatching at air, trying to pull anyone they could under. Yami and Bakura were trying to deal with hacking the hands off the right side of the boat whilst Katt and Seto were doing their best on the left side, but it was dangerously close to toppling over and the hands seemed to multiply by the second.

Yami did his best to think of a way out and hastily looked around him. Noticing they were near the edge of the paths, he shouted out whilst picking Yugi up:

"Everybody! I want you to jump onto that ledge there! The boat won't hold out much longer!"

As soon as he said that, a hand broke its way through the underside of the boat, causing murky green water to immediately start building up and sinking it. Everyone jumped onto the side as fast as they could whilst Yami stayed behind in order to safely get Yugi and Ryou out. The water had just started to lap over his feet as he was passing Ryou over to Bakura when a skeleton hand grabbed at his left ankle. He cried out in surprise and tumbled forward into the water. It took a while for him to come up to the surface, gasping for air and thrashing about in order to scare away the hands that kept trying to pull his body under. Yugi, who had woken up by now, ran to the edge like everyone else and held out his hand.

"Yami! Yami grab my hand! Quick!"

Yami did as Yugi told him, grasping his creamy hand firmly whilst kicking out fiercely. Bakura and Ryou pulled on Yugi's waist, helping him pull their Captain up to safety. The four of them crouched gasping, Yami taking deep breaths in order to steady himself. Carefully, they stood up and watched their small boat as it sank. The mist lifted as soon as the boat was fully under water and the water was once again calm. Just as the four of them made a move to relax themselves though, Katt's voice tensed them again.

"I wouldn't start to calm down if I were you. It looks to me as if we have visitors."

Almost as if timed, Yami, Bakura, Ryou and Yugi turned round slowly to be met with what looked like hundreds of barbarians. Katt and Seto had their swords out, standing defensively in front of Mel and Jou, whilst the crowd of dirty men had spears and other nasty looking sharp objects pointed threateningly at them all. One of the men, his hair in unruly dreadlocks and his face covered with piercing and tattoos, jumped down and crept towards them. Bakura and Yami raised their swords ready for a fight, but the man made no move to attack. He slowly moved around in a circle around them, looking each individual up and down. Finally, he stood in front of them, smiling and showing perfectly pointed teeth.

"Kais humnai tu?"

Katt and Seto exchanged wary glances, as they were the ones standing closest to this new visitor. Yami came forward, motioning to Yugi to stay were he was, drawing the man's attention solely to him.

"Humnai tu?" He asked, a little more forcefully than last time.

"Me Yami. Bloody good Captain," he pointed to his hat, "We mean no harm. Just need to have a nice little stroll through these caves of yours to find someone. If you want to burn or eat anyone though, I suggest the white haired guy with the permanent pissed off look on his face. "

Katt and Seto turned and gave Bakura a disbelieving look. Bakura simply shrugged and continued to scowl. The man leant closer to Yami, breathing heavily into his face. Yami did his best not to make a look of disgust at the man's putrid breath but failed. The man laughed and turned to his, what looked like, tribe of men.

"Mana no jinku! Salam et geru."

The men also laughed, before the caves were plunged into silence once more. The air tensed as the man, suddenly angry, whizzed round and scowled at Yami.

"Pirate."

Yami, slightly unsure of what to do, stared at his crew. Seto, Katt and Bakura simply tightened the grip on their swords, sensing that the mans change in mood would not lead up to anything good.

"Yeah mate. Pirates."

Just as Yami and his crew had expected, this seemed to rub the man the wrong way and with a battle cry, the man and the men behind him charged at their small group. Yami's reaction wasn't slow as he brought his sword up to defend himself. The clash of metal against metal could be heard all round as four pirates did their best to defend not only themselves, but also their vulnerable look-alikes (or in Seto's case, his almost alike).

The strain was obvious as men came from all sides. Seto stared at Yami as if expecting him to come up with a magical answer to their current problem. Yami slashed at one fat, pig-nosed man and pushed his body into oncoming attackers to throw them off a bit. He looked round helplessly before his gaze finally settled on the water. He looked back at Seto.

"You have _got…_to be…kidding me?" he managed to get out whilst cutting through the never ending stream of barbarians that seemed to head his way, "The waters almost as dangerous as them staying up here!"

By now, the four pirates had formed a strong circle, the people whom they were trying to protect stood inside of them. They moved as one, doing their best to dodge as many attacks as possible. Katt nodded in agreement whilst ducking and winding her opponent.

"Did you see those hand things? If that doesn't spell trouble for you I don't know what will."

"Well, have you seen the situation we're currently in at the moment lassie?" Bakura snarled.

The pirates continued to bicker amongst themselves whilst fending off attackers. Yugi looked up at Mel with wide, fearful eyes. Jou had his arms wrapped around there small group in a protective manner, willing to risk getting hurt if one of the barbarians swords by chance to make it through the stronghold of the pirates circle. Ryou attempted a reassuring smile and Mel patted her small friend on the head in a motherly way.

"Don't worry Yugi. It'll all be ok," she promised him, although she wasn't all that sure if she herself believed it. It was almost as if she had stood away from her body and was staring at herself with a face that obviously yelled 'LIAR!'

Yugi nodded and watched Yami and his crew keep up their good work, but although they had been doing an excellent job so far, it was obvious that they were tiring as their powerful attacks become slower and they had all gotten a few scratches due to the fact they hadn't been able to defend themselves in time. Yami, although preoccupied with the never-ending flurry of barbarians, stole a few glances back at Yugi to see how he was faring. Once again, he took control of the situation at hand and raised his left hand to signify that they should all stop arguing.

"I think those hand things only appear when that silver mist does," Yami ducked and slashed an oncoming attackers knee's as Seto leant over and plunged his sword through the chest of another, "And by the looks of it, these guys are reluctant to go near the water, otherwise they would have jumped in and gotten up before the hands. I think the safest bet is getting them in the water and perhaps getting them to swim back to the Millennium. We can break up then and make our way back to the Millennium by foot, it'll be much easier defeating this lot in our own individual manner."

Katt sighed in defeat and both Seto and Bakura nodded in agreement at Yami's plan. They backed up to the water, slashing and blocking, battle cries and wailing filling the air and made a line in front of Yugi, Mel, Ryou and Jou. It seemed Yami was correct in his thinking, as many of the barbarians didn't seem too keen on making their way to the edge of the cliffy surface, but there were still more than enough for them to deal with.

"Do you trust me Yugi?" Yami yelled over the clashing of sword and spear.

Yugi whipped his head in the direction of Yami. Yami's face was one of dedication and determination, his crimson eyes flashing dangerously as he blocked attack after attack. He looked up at Mel, who was the nearest person to him, but she was staring at Katt, who was also doing her best to keep the attackers at bay.

"Y-yes Yami. I trust you!" he shouted back.

Yami nodded and pushed forward into the crowd of barbarians, Yugi's answer being what he needed in order to continue. His crew followed suit, breaking their line ever so slightly.

"Jump into the water! Swim back to the Millennium!"

Yugi froze in fear when he heard what Yami had said. Jump into the water? Where all those creepy hands had just been? Oh he didn't think so. No way was he going to do something as stupid as that. Not only that but he couldn't swim! It seemed the rest of his friends agreed with him as Jou marched up to Seto and shouted down his ear:

"Are you crazy?! Just give us weapons we can defend ourselves just fine thank you!"

"The waters as much of a death trap as up here is! I agree with Jou!" Mel said determinedly.

"Just do as your told mutt!" Seto pushed Jou back, "Trust us!" and with that, he pushed Jou firmly over the edge and into the water, were he landed with a loud splash.

Mel gasped in horror and Yugi and Ryou held their breath fearfully, waiting for their friend to come up. A couple of seconds later, Jou floated to the surface, shaking slightly and scowling. Seeing that her friend was all right, Mel glanced back at the pirates before jumping in, pulling a surprised Ryou with her. Yami looked back and freaked out as he saw Yugi was the only one of his friends left on the cliff edge, looking down at the water as if it were going to eat him.

"I thought you said you trusted me Yugi! Just jump!"

"But Yami I-" he didn't get to finish as he was pushed over. As he was falling, he continued to shout, but Yami couldn't hear him. It was then Katt turned around, a look of horror and realization on her face.

"Oh Christ! Yami! Yami he can't swim!"

Yami stared at Katt incredulously before looking back down at Yugi, who was thrashing and kicking to keep himself a float. Mel, Ryou and Jou weren't faring too well either, but Yugi seemed to be the one struggling the most. No one had to worry much further however, because coming somewhere deeper in the caves, a horn sounded. The barbarians stopped mid-attack and suddenly fled back to their hiding place in the shadows. The ground started to shake and the waters current started to become much stronger, washing Yugi back into the arms of his friends before washing the four of them back the way they had come.

The ground continued to shake violently and the ceiling threatened to cave in. Yami stared after Yugi in a vain attempt to seek him out in the darkness, but soon gave up and looked back at his crew who were staring back at him, questioning looks on their faces. A few of the torches that illuminated the room they were in flickered and went out, leaving them in semi darkness as rocks of all different sizes crashed down from above them and blocked the only way out for them. They all lay flat on the floor, arms covering their heads as the rocks continued to fall. Eventually, when the shaking started to die off and there was no apparent threat of anything else falling and crushing them, they picked themselves up off the floor and looked around carefully.

There was no sign of the barbarians; the sound of the horn had appeared to scare them off. The only question now was: what new threat was going to head their way?

"Why didn't you tell me he couldn't fucking swim?" Yami growled at Katt, harshly shoving her into a wall. She winced before scowling back at him, shoving him back with equal force.

"I forgot ok? For fucks sake Yami it's allowed!"

"He could have drowned! It would have been a totally different matter altogether if it was Mel we were talking about wouldn't it?"

"Excuse me? Don't bring her into this! I was a bit pre-occupied with trying to keep us all alive, you can't expect me to remember everything!"

"It's one simple thing Katt! It's easily remembered! And if I want to bring Mel into this I sure as hell will because you know I'm right."

Bakura and Seto made a move to break the argument up, but for a brief moment it seemed their assistance wasn't needed.

"I'm only human Yami!"

Seto tensed and Bakura looked up at him, feeling the suspense build in the air around them. They'd just come out of one battle; they didn't need to be getting into another. Yami chuckled, his deep laughter vibrating off the walls around them. When he spoke, his voice held slight accusation and humor.

"Human, Katt?"

"Oh you bastard!"

Katt flew angrily at Yami, punching him hard in the face. Yami recovered quickly, rewarding Katt with a harsh blow of his own. Seto and Bakura ran forward, pulling them both off each other. They both kicked out, trying as best they could to inflict whatever pain was possible to the other.

"Grow up the pair of you! We need to find a way out of here and we can't do that if you two are beating the bloody crap out of each other!"

"It's not often you'll hear me agree with Seto, but he's right. What the fuck has gotten into you both?"

Yami and Katt both sent their nastiest glare at the other before turning away, neither of them saying a word. Seto sighed and Bakura rolled his eyes.

"Fine, don't tell us what the hell's going on, but you're going to have to put aside your little disagreement so that we can get out of here. Preferably _alive_."

Still not saying a word, Yami surveyed the room they were in. There was no way they could get out the way Yugi had gone. There was only one way out now.

"Right then. Forward we go."

* * *

Malik wasn't as surprised as he probably should have been to wake up in Marik's arms. They were in the exact same position they had been when play-fighting with each other and he'd gotten quite warm in the safety of Marik's arms. From deep with in the caves, he heard a dangerous rumbling sound-and it was getting closer. Pushing Marik off him gently, Malik stood up and leant over the side of the ship, peering into the darkness to try and find out what was causing the sound. He really hoped Yugi and his friends were all right…

Marik was by hid side in an instant, as the rumbling grew louder. Grabbing Malik by the waist, he dragged him back to the middle of the ship before lying back down, one arm covering his head and the other covering Malik's back protectively. He was just about to ask his look-alike what he was doing when he saw that serious look morph onto his face and so, he moved in just a little closer and copied Marik's movements.

Suddenly, a rush of water hit them, rocking the ship and pushing them backwards. They hit the narrow walls continuously like they were in a weird game of ping-pong and something that was hard, but to soft to be rock, hit him on the head and splattered out onto the deck. When the rocking and water had stopped, he opened his eyes, which he had clenched shut when things started to fall around them and stared around them. They were outside the caves once more and the sun had just started to rise. In the pinkish light, he also noticed that Yugi, Ryou, Jou and Mel had joined them once more.

His friends were soaking wet and shaking as they tried to sit up, confused looks on their faces. Malik hurried over, leaving Marik in his wake and crouched down in front of them.

"Guys? Are you all ok? What happened?"

Yugi nodded and looked back towards the entrance of the caves, "Yeah we're ok, just a little shocked I guess."

Malik was about to ask were the pirates had gotten off too when a voice from above caught their attention.

"Either Yami's crew has just grown cuter or they've pissed off another sorcerer and they've been turned into amazingly cute children."

The person who had spoken was a man, probably not much older than themselves, with curly black hair and piercing green eyes. He was dressed lavishly, a red baggy tunic, a black waist coat with the ace of hearts, spades, clubs and diamonds on and a gold belt. He also wore black trousers and a pair of crimson boots, much in the same style of Marik's and Yami's but with the toe being slightly more pointed at the end, Malik noticed. He jumped down from his place on the mast and walked over smiling to their little group.

"Who are you? Why the hell are you here?" Malik asked, slightly peeved at being referred to as children.

"Me? Why I'm here to help."

* * *

Dun Dun DUUUUN! Why who is this new person? Can you guess who?

Tune in next time to find out!


End file.
